Hi Everyone,
Today's topic is boasting. When I looked this word up in the dictionary, one of the definitions was to brag about yourself or to brag about your stuff to others (that's the Minion translation). It's interesting because it is very similar to pride but we will talk about pride in the next post. Again, I want you to notice that bragging is an action, not a feeling. We don't feel bragging, we say something that is bragging. So what does this mean?
We all know the one upper. In fact, sometimes we have been the one upper. You know the person. If you tell as story, they have a bigger one. If something good happened to you, something better happened to them. So we shouldn't brag about things in our life right? Well if that's the case, then we should never tell anyone when something good happens to us or when we do something great right? Wrong! I want to stop and say that just because you tell someone about something you have or did, does not make it bragging. When you tell a story to puff yourself up, that's bragging.
Let's look at God for a minute. If God is love and love doesn't brag, then what happens all the times in the Bible where God talks about who he is and what he's done? Is he bragging? Certainly not. When we brag, we normally do it to impress people and I don't think the Creator of the universe needs to impress His creation. So what is He doing? He's trying to build our faith. When God tells you something about Himself, it's not because He's trying to brag. He wants you to know that He's able to provide all things so that when you have lack, you can trust in and rely on Him. He wants you to know that He can heal people so that when you are sick, you will go to Him for healing. He wants you to know that He created everything so that when you need anything, you can go to Him.
So here's what I have learned today. There's a difference between bragging and telling someone about something that's happened to you. That difference is motive. When you brag, you want people to look at you and how great you are. When you tell someone about something great that you did or happened to you and you do it to encourage them, then it's called ministry not bragging.
Let me finish by asking you this question. Do you find yourself ministering or bragging when you tell people what's happening with you? I know there are places in my own life where I can do this better.
That's another Opinion of the Minion
Today's topic is boasting. When I looked this word up in the dictionary, one of the definitions was to brag about yourself or to brag about your stuff to others (that's the Minion translation). It's interesting because it is very similar to pride but we will talk about pride in the next post. Again, I want you to notice that bragging is an action, not a feeling. We don't feel bragging, we say something that is bragging. So what does this mean?
We all know the one upper. In fact, sometimes we have been the one upper. You know the person. If you tell as story, they have a bigger one. If something good happened to you, something better happened to them. So we shouldn't brag about things in our life right? Well if that's the case, then we should never tell anyone when something good happens to us or when we do something great right? Wrong! I want to stop and say that just because you tell someone about something you have or did, does not make it bragging. When you tell a story to puff yourself up, that's bragging.
So here's what I have learned today. There's a difference between bragging and telling someone about something that's happened to you. That difference is motive. When you brag, you want people to look at you and how great you are. When you tell someone about something great that you did or happened to you and you do it to encourage them, then it's called ministry not bragging.
Let me finish by asking you this question. Do you find yourself ministering or bragging when you tell people what's happening with you? I know there are places in my own life where I can do this better.
That's another Opinion of the Minion
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