Day 25: How Deep the Father's Love for Us

This is one of my favorite hymns.  The words in this hymn build a powerful depiction of Jesus' death on the cross.  Every verse in this song was beautifully written and carefully chosen. 

The second to last stanza goes like this:

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Boasting was something I considered carefully when I decided to start this lenten commitment.  I thought about my intent to publish this blog and share it with others.  I continue to pray about it.  I think about the verse that says "let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable to you, God."  My prayer and my hope is that the words of God speak through me in whatever I do.  

I am as much a necessary audience member to a lesson on boasting as the next person.  There are days when we can't figure out if we are the pot or the kettle - we wake up blind with enormous planks in our eyes.  Boasting has been something that has been made easy in recent years.  We've got social media to let people know where we've been, who we're with, the things that we've done. 

What does it look like to boast in Jesus Christ.  I doubt it has to do with posting a picture of Him and I on Facebook or Instagram.  He doesn't care if we say were were "with Him."  He is always with us.  He wants others to know that.  Not because we can prove it, but because He wants us to emanate who He is when we are with others.  I think that boasting in Jesus Christ is allowing others to see that all glory is to, and flows from, Him.  

One of the middle stanzas says this:

Behold the man upon a cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

There it is - our own voice.  

The words that we choose and how we present ourselves to the world around us are important considerations.  We are not called to put on a costume - to pretend to be anything.  We are called to live our lives in a way that is glorifying to God.  There isn't a rule book for that.  That is a personal you and God/me and God situation.  It is set on our hearts to pray - to ask Him to guide our actions and our choices.  To help us make sure that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts are for His glory. 

~SP