Boast: to speak with exaggeration and excessive pride, especially about oneself. 2. to speak with pride
Proud:Feeling pleasure or satisfaction over something regarded as highly honorable or creditable to oneself
- having, proceeding from, or showing a high opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, or superiority
- having or showing self-respect or self-esteem.
- highly gratifying to the feelings or self-esteem:
Oh Dear! Boasting! Excessive pride! I love the sarcasm of Paul the Apostle. Here was a man of incredible knowledge, a Pharisee of the highest order. He had visions and many other amazing visitations and experiences but what did he boast in? In the Lord! In things that show his weaknesses! Or he would boast in those he had nurtured or fathered in the faith.
Again I am feeling more than a little confronted as I look in this mirror! How often have I boasted in my own achievements, or walked in pride. I have often though when I say, “I am proud of you for such and such or I am proud of my children”, what am I actually saying? Am I happy for them or do I somehow think I have achieved something vicariously through them?
Pride! When we hold our head up high we need to be careful we don’t stumble over something we don’t see before us! Yet there is the down side of false humility that belittles self constantly! This can be a form of reverse pride where we choose to act in false humility. Paul knew who he was and whose He was but seemed to constantly battle pride and spoke often and firmly about not allowing himself to boast other than in the Cross.
I think this is a tricky one to find balance in: To have a healthy self-esteem, without slipping into excessive pride and boasting.
To me the key is excessive, or boasting at the expense of others or using exaggeration. I love telling the stories of what God has done in mine and others lives but I do have to be careful in everything that it doesn’t tend towards becoming a boast in some prideful way. God is to be glorified and honoured in all that we do and are!
More thought and prayer required here! Any thoughts and comments?
Until next time
Blessings Narelle
