31 Days :: Day 21 - I Boast No More

This Morning:

Journal about what God revealed to you yesterday… and how He has been working on you since.
Pray and ask God to open your eyes today. Ask Him to show you a real picture of what He sees when He looks at you.

Devotion: I Boast No More

I have a song for you to listen to as we’re going through this devotion today. It’s by my favorite band of all time, and sung by my favorite Christian singer/songwriter/voice of all time. The challenge is simple: Boast no more. We will talk more about this later. You can click on the link below and it will open the music file in a new window so you can keep reading in this window.

I Boast No More – Caedmon’s Call

Since today is the last day of “too big” week, we are going to do a little pride assessment. My challenge for all of us is to go through these questions and answer honestly. Some of the questions have links back to previous days in the study. It might help to go back and read those posts. Use your journal to write down whatever God reveals to you. And ask Him before you write. There may be some things He wants to show you that you have not seen before.

Look back at The Slow Fade of Me-Ism from Monday. Are you at a very humble point in your life or do you see where pride has snuck into your heart and mind? Most of us are probably somewhere in the middle.
Do you have some soapboxes that you need to smash? Are you willing to?
Are you reading your Bible and praying regularly? Or has that part of your Christianity become something familiar that you just talk about? Is it about checking off your quiet time box or is it about growing closer in your relationship with Christ?
How’s your marriage? How’s your submission? Do you get prideful and defensive when you are attacked or do you respond in love?
Do you have a need {maybe it’s been unconscious up to this point} to name-drop or to “own” certain titles?
Are you consumed with a need to be right all the time? What is your reaction when someone tries to correct you?
Do you have a judgmental, critical spirit? Does it come out worse in certain areas? Which ones?
Are there any situations in your life where you are jealous? Why do you think you have this emotion in these situations?
Do you find yourself speaking up sometimes, just so you can be heard? Like maybe you feel like you are not contributing if you don’t voice your opinion? Where do you think that comes from?
Are you insecure? Do you struggle with self-esteem? What triggers your insecurities? What do you see is the root to your self-esteem issues?

All of these questions relate with the pride level we have in our lives. Yep, even the insecurity. How did you do? Were you surprised by any of your answers? It’s tough to really look at ourselves deeply. But to grow, we’ve got to dig deep and see what’s hurt, what’s angry, what’s jealous, what’s prideful and defensive, and what’s insecure. The insecurity is the root. Pride comes from insecurity, but confidence comes from security.

So to sum up this week, we’ve got to let go of our “too big” issues. To let down our guards. To recognize the walls we have put up to God and to those who love us. And we also have to continue to get rid of the insecurities that feed our “boasting.” In order for Christ to really work in and through us, we’ve got to be vessels that are clean of both extremes. We have to recognize that His grace is truly sufficient.

On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 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 weaknesses, 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. – 2 Corinthians 12:5-10

When we recognize who we are in Christ and that God is bigger than all of our little issues, then we will start to be broken and we will see growth. We can’t boast in ourselves… only in Jesus. Paul knew well that his strength came only from Christ. My former pride I call my shame and nail my glory to His cross.

Here are the lyrics to I Boast No More by Caedmon’s Call:

No more my God, I boast no more of all the duties I have done.
I quit the hopes I held before to trust the merits of Thy Son.

No more my God. No more my God. No more my God. I boast no more.

Now, for the loss I bear his name. What was my gain I count my loss.
My former pride I call my shame and nail my glory to His cross.

No more my God. No more my God. No more my God. I boast no more.

Yes, and I must, I will esteem all things but loss for Jesus’ sake.
O may my soul be found in Him and of His righteousness partake.
Amen, amen.

The best obedience of my hands dares not appear before Thy throne.
But faith can answer Thy demands by pleading what my Lord has done.

No more my God. No more my God. No more my God. I boast no more.

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which^[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. – Galatians 6:14

To Make You Think:

How do you feel after doing the “too big” assessment?
Do you recognize a need to be broken in an area (or areas) that are “boasting” issues for you? Explain.
Are you ready to “boast no more”?

The Rest of the Day:

Spend time in prayer, asking God to break down your own specific “boasting” issues… be it your insecurities, your pride, your defensiveness, your need to control, your need to be right, your lack of submission, your me-ism, your critical spirit, etc.
Before you go to bed, journal about whatever else God reveals to you during the rest of the day.

See you tomorrow!

Continuing on… 31 Days :: Day 22 – Reflection