Boastfulness

 June 7, 2021

Be careful what you pray for. You just might get it. Because I have a constant battle against my tendency to be somewhat judgmental, God occasionally steps in to nudge me towards grace. The other day I was reading Psalm 5 when the fifth verse jumped out at me: “The boastful shall not stand in your sight.” I’ve seen my share of braggarts, and am never impressed with them, so I’ve always seen this verse as a vindication of my attitude; “God is going to cut this person down to size,” I would think. But this time, when I read this verse, I saw it through a different lens. Instead of this verse offering vindication for my judgmental spirit, I saw it as cause for sorrow. Why do I not weep for the boastful, knowing their end? God takes no joy in the death of the wicked, Ezekiel tells us. Psalm 5:5 is merely a statement of fact, not a justification for judgmentalism.

Boastful people are usually insecure, lacking the confidence that comes from knowing who you are in Christ, knowing that you have a Savior and Defender who accepts you no matter what. If I am boasting about my accomplishments, I am not as Paul hopes, boasting in the Cross, and if I am not boasting in the Cross, I am cutting myself off from the one Source of joy, confidence, and salvation. Inwardly rejoicing that the boastful cannot stand is a denial of the Gospel and a betrayal of my faith.

“Lord, teach me to see the boastful not as pride-filled, but as needing the confidence of knowing you. May I see such people as you see them, and treat them as you treat them, with patience and kindness, so they may come to Christ and discover that which is truly worth boasting about.”