Ever come up with a really great idea,
the greatest lesson plan ever,
an excellent bulletin board idea?
Ok, so maybe you're not a teacher.
Maybe you are the person who......
had the most sales,
built the best deck ever,
holds the record for the fastest time in the drive-thru.
What do you do with that?
Run tell someone?
Keep it to yourself?
Thank God?
I was reading this morning in the book of Acts,
the story of Ananias and Sapphira.
Now I know that what they were bragging about was a lie,
but they took it and ran straight to the apostles.
My "what if" mind says....
what if what we are running to tell is the truth?
Is it ok then?
Does it bring to mind the phrase,
"It's not bragging if it's the truth"?
Either way, the point is the same for me today.
When we do great things (whether it's the truth or a lie that we've made up)
do we then want the approval of God or the approval of man for having done it?
Do we talk about our great things LOUDLY IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE
so they will "just happen" to overhear us and commend us for being so great?
Do we keep it quiet and secretly hope that someone finds out and tells everyone?
Warren W. Wiersbe said,
"Once we are more concerned with our reputation than our character,
there is no end to the things we will do
just to make ourselves "look good" before others."
We can wear ourselves out trying to make sure that everyone knows
all the great things we have done.
But then what?
On to the next great thing?
On to tell the next person we see?
What happens when the applause fades?
Because it will certainly fade.
Maybe in that moment when we want to speak up brag,
we pause and then say HIS name instead of our own.
Let's perform for an audience of ONE.
Let's allow HIM to decide how HE will acknowledge what HE has allowed us to do,
And then if someone does happen to notice,
let's use that opportunity to point to HIM,
to brag on HIM and what HE has accomplished through us.
That's the kind of bragging that can change lives,
that's the kind of bragging that can last for eternity.
