This troubles me in a couple of ways. Firstly, it isn’t clear to me what boasting has to do with love – of all the things that we might have expected God to say about His kind of love (agape) this would be way down the list for me. OK I know that boasting, as we typically use the word, has a negative connotation, but is it unloving? We’ll get to that in a moment. But in the meantime, the other problem is that the Bible clearly says we should not boast (e.g. Jeremiah 9:23 “This is what the LORD says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches”). On the other hand Paul, in “selling himself” to the Corinthians against their criticism, simply says he won’t “boast beyond limits” (2 Cor 10:13).
There are times for us to make a case for our accomplishments, so that they might be effective or so that our plans might be put into action for the greater good of all concerned. There is a case for laying out what we’ve been responsible for, in a resume for example, or in a legal defense. So what is it that the Bible is prohibiting? I see a few things.
- Boasting in things that are not in God’s plan – things that are evil, or unjust. (The Psalms have several examples of this).
- Overstating our case, so that we pretend to be more than we are.
- Taking credit ourselves for the things God has done, or for which He has equipped us to do (e.g. 1 Corinthians 4:7 “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”).
- Claiming to be in control where really God is, e.g. of the future (Proverbs 27:1). This is further stressed as a primary boasting evil in James 4:16: "As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.”
If we look at all these things, and keep them in mind in our work, we can then add another dimension – the impact such evil boasting has on others. If I represent myself as capable of more than I am, I may push out another, more qualified candidate. If I claim all the credit for a good piece of work, then I may deny legitimate credit to others. If I claim to be the one in control, then others may be pushed out of positions of responsibility. Such actions clearly do not exhibit love.
The bottom line has to do with truth. I need to be realistic in communicating my accomplishments and abilities, doing so at all only when necessary for the good of others (which certainly includes things like job applications and project acceptances, since others would benefit if indeed I am the right person). When I do communicate, I need to think about the impact on others of my statements – if I stick to the truth then others should be well-served, but if I exaggerate or elaborate, they may be hurt. Love will be most concerned about this. Therefore, “love does not boast”! I’ll try to remember this.
Graham - This is such a practical post! To me what stands out (in addition to your fine points) when I think of boasting is "narcissism". Yes, we have all known and worked with those types - and they are doing everything you bring up. Except they can't stop themselves, and it becomes obnoxious and destructive after a while. We all need to keep ourselves in check, especially as we rise in position and responsiblity. My wife does a fine job of this for me, of keeping me on the ground!
ReplyDeletelol I couldn't agree more about the role of our spouses! Mine is an expert. I like your point about narcissism, Bradley - that's a good question to ask ourselves. My difficulty is that my motives are always somewhat mixed, and there's always a degree of self in my words, actions, and thoughts. I think this is in part what Paul is talking about in Romans 7.
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