Love does not boast

I begin today's post with a quote that is really not related to the subject today but it is one of those quotes that stayed with me today and I think it says a lot to all of us about our lives in the future. It is especially meaningful to those much younger. The quote is from Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A. He says "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read." I have urged my children and the young people I work with to seek out books....books of great value (not cost) and read constantly...daily if possible. What you read will aid you in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. Books will make you more aware of the world and those that inhabit it. I think this is why it is so important to be a student of the Bible. It is a great work and worthy of our time and devotion. It is also interesting what you can learn from the people around you if you will but listen.

Now for today's subject. Love does not Boast. It ties in with yesterday's subject of envy. Love is not envious nor does it boast. I wonder why some people boast? I think it is perhaps due to a lack of confidence in themselves or their place in life. We always called it "tootin your own horn". When we center on self we cannot get to know others. Part of showing our love to others is to have a genuine concern for them and their situation. If you are calling attention to your self or boasting, you are not showing an interest in the other person.

Boasting can be done also through the things we possess. Our cars, our homes, our clothing or anything we possess that calls attention to us. Bragging about our accomplishments our standing, etc. is a form of boasting. The question begs us to think about what we want to be known for. What is our desire for a legacy? Do we want a building named after us or do we want to be known throughout the world for the things we have, say or do? I struggle with this one as one of my dreams is to write. What is my purpose in this? Is it to be known as a great author and to have people tell me how great I am? This is boasting. The real purpose for exercising the gifts God gives us is to bring glory to Him. My motive should be to encourage and help others. This in turn brings glory to God. I wonder about many of the great orators of our day, such as pastors, teachers and especially politicians. What is the motive. As Timothy says in 2 Timothy Chapter 4, "men will gather around them teachers who say what their itching ears want to hear." He also says in Chapter 2 of 2nd Timothy that in the last days people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud...etc. I did not intend to go off into a study of the last days but his really points out where we are today and defines how much we need to understand and practice love in the midst of those all around us.

To be boastful is really to call attention to ourselves for whatever reason we find. The opposite of being boastful is to be humble. Moses was called the "most humble man who ever lived" and this should be a great thing for us all to strive for and attain. For when we are humble we put other people first and we are not boastful. We define what love truly is to those all around us. If our great desire is to truly love others but more importantly to love God above all else then we need to be humble servants who put God First, Others Second and ourselves Third.