How To Boast
BRD REFLECTIONS:
2 Corinthians 12 and Psalm 52 (NIV)
(David Khoo, SGM Core Team)
READ:
My son, who is doing his PSLE, wanted to help write today’s devotion. What follows is our shared reflection. Here are the verses that spoke to us:
Psalm 52:8 (ESV): I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV): But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
OBSERVE AND APPLY:
My son writes: “Many people, including me and my parents, stress about the importance of the PSLE. We have to work very hard and many hours in preparation for this exam.” It’s a challenging time for him. Why does the PSLE matter so much, not just to my son, but to me as a parent? If he does poorly, is he doomed to a life of failure and poverty, of rejection from society?
I try to remind myself that the greater danger is not failure, but buying into the belief that there is only one path to success, and that it is via the PSLE. And yet, the PSLE is the path we find ourselves on, and it does little good to question it at this stage. As detached as I try to be, my instinctive reactions reveal where my heart is:the sour angst of anxiety when he struggles; the swell of pride when he does well.
And what if he does well after all? Do we testify to God’s goodness and broadcast it with false humility? What does it mean in a Christian context to boast in Christ , with my fellow brothers and sisters?
Paul’s response stands in stark clarity, and offers a model for Christian boasting: “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me (v9).” How radical. To not fear weakness, but to embrace it, so that Christ’s power is revealed. He goes on to imply it’s not just an act – it’s a deep truth he knows in his bones: “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
What I choose to boast (or worry) about, whether in subtle or brash ways, reveals what I treasure. Paul’s definition of boasting is true humility. It’s not humble-bragging or false humility. His boasting about weakness reveals his treasure: that God is near.
My son reflects: “God is out of time. He is not bound by it. He knows the past, present and future. So why would we not boast about a power that is that great? God will protect us in everything we face. So why not, in turn, spread God’s love and boast about his power? We need to learn to be humble, and not take ourselves as god.”
DO:
As I journey with my son during this time, may we acknowledge that God’s power in our lives is made perfect in weakness. In worshipping on Sundays and in doing our daily devotions may we remind ourselves that we are not God, that we serve, and are loved by, a God who alone is worthy of boasting.
PRAY:
Lord, may we so hunger for you that we embrace our weaknesses and failures. Bring down my idols of worldly success that I may live in the victory – and the treasure – you have already won for me, by the power of your Cross. Amen.
