Does it count for much?

As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. (2 Corinthians 10:17-18)

How many times do you hear someone brag about what they have accomplished and wonder why they find it necessary to boast so much about such a small thing? Truth be told, I have been amongst the braggarts on occasion! Not a pretty sight. Boasting is really for the purpose of calling attention to oneself. As a young person, I thought unless people were always paying attention to you, they didn't like you. My bragging actually drove them away, not closer! Now, it goes without saying, if I catch the big fish on that next fishing outing, I am holding it high, but I don't do it to 'call attention' to my 'angling expertise'. I am just jazzed to have snagged one! Sometimes we 'call attention' to our accomplishments in quite an innocent fashion, while at others, it is to get some kind of praise from someone else. 

When people commend themselves - is it possible some may actually 'commend themselves' because they don't hear any praise from any other source? Someone raised in that kind of environment, constantly badgered or put down by another, may actually 'hunger' for some form of recognition or praise. Maybe we can understand some form of bragging when that is the case, but even when no one else around you recognizes your extreme worth or values your input in this world, God does! Nothing we do ever escapes his notice, and I will tell you this for certain - a 'pat on the back' from God is ten times more rewarding than one from some stranger on this earth. God's recognition goes beyond the praises of the moment, or even the high five of success. It ministers to our spirit and nourishes our soul.

Mom used to remind me it was not my responsibility to 'tell others how good I am', but to live in such a way that the goodness is evident. Maybe that is what Paul is reminding us of this morning - live in a way that requires no amount of 'bragging' in order for the evidence of God's work within to be noticed. In another passage, we are reminded it is good to hear God's, "Well done, my good and faithful servant", when we cross over from this life into the next. I imagine we will all find such delight in those words of praise - much, much more than those accolades we receive on this earth. Just sayin!

Life Hack #17: Recognize, Respect, and Uphold

Life Hack #17:

Listen with respect to the father who raised you, and when your mother grows old, don’t neglect her. Buy truth—don’t sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight. Parents rejoice when their children turn out well; wise children become proud parents. So make your father happy! Make your mother proud! (Proverbs 23:22-25)

In today's culture, we might find that parents have become "chums" to their kids rather than parents. The move toward "befriending" the child has brought about a kind of disrespect which society sees manifest in a multitude of ways - everything from the simple rebellions of back talk, crossing boundaries with too much ease, disrespecting teachers at school, engaging in rebellious behaviors, and keeping wrong company. Parents have a role in raising their kids - more than just to put food on the table and clothes on their back - just as much as kids have a role in bringing respect and honor to their parents. That said, the two roles need to be recognized, respected, and upheld - by all parties.

When an individual becomes a parent, it is a lifelong endeavor - not easily ended at the age when the minor becomes an adult. Kids start out in this life acting like little leeches, hanging on for dear life to their parents, sucking the very life from them. As time goes on, they want nothing to do with their parents. It is a sad fact, but today's society often separates parents from children by not only miles, but also by the demands on one's time, energies, and abilities. In turn, kids end up missing out on the tremendous blessing of the wisdom of the parent and parents end up missing out on the awesome honor of seeing how their kids really function in this world.

We are not to be easily separated from the structure God provided for our overall well-being. Parents are to raise us in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, giving us a set of standards upon which we can base our life decisions and daily choices. Children are not only to listen to the wisdom they receive, but embrace it, and then replicate it in the lives of their own children. 

It is a circle of sorts, passing down from one generation to the next the foundation of loving God first, serving him with all your heart, and then living out that love in the other relationships you form in this world. We bring joy to our parents when we model good behavior, wise choices, and live as examples of Christ in this world. Honor is not something our parents owe us; it is something we owe to them. We bring it to them by the evidence of Christ-centered "foundational living" in our lives. Recognize each other - respect one another - uphold those relationships. They matter! Just sayin!