What do you boast about?

Is it STUPID things? (Like being able to tie a cherry stem in a knot by inserting it in your mouth and using only your tongue to tie it? Is it boasting in how much booze you can drink before passing out?)

Is it TRIVIAL things? (Like memorizing the square root of 17, the last 17 winners on “Jeopardy,” 68 case-sensitive passwords, or knowing every NCAA men’s basketball championship team since 1950?)

Is it VAIN things? (Like how many social media followers you have, cars you own, or size of your bank account?)

Is it PRIDEFUL things? (Like how you’ve outsmarted, dominated, defeated, killed, berated, or beaten someone up? How about how skillful you’ve become or how many trophies you’ve earned?)

Is it SIMPLY THIS? Proving to others how right you are about anything?

Or is it ONLY THIS: Boasting in the Cross of Christ? That Cross delivers, rescues, redeems, emancipates. It makes us clean, confident, forgiven, accepted and adopted into God’s family, full of hope, free. 

That Cross works so much victory in life that boasting in anything else is ridiculous. All other boasting must be crucified, and the One crucified for us must be made our only boast. 

So let’s put the brakes on much of our boasting. Let’s be different. Let’s make the Cross our only boast. Brag about others. And boast in One.

Reflect: What do you like to boast about? What kind of boasting needs less reps/more braking in you? Would you memorize Jeremiah 9:23-24 to hammer this meditation home?

A prayer to consider: LORD and Master, You’re the best! Your Cross is not just true story, but greatest grounds for boasting. Help me to boast in You and put the brakes on other boasting. Liberate me from me … and the approval of others I can seek too much. This is the cry of my heart. In Jesus name I play. Amen.