It’s Not Bragging If It Is Fact

The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.  Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life?  If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!  In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.  So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.  We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away.  2 Corinthians 3:7-13

 Early in my career I wanted to do external training for my company’s software.  I knew I had the ability and skill to do it well. But when asked about my abilities and talents, I was hesitant as to not want to brag, and thus, spoke modestly about my abilities.  “Yes, if given then I opportunity, I could do it,” I recall me saying.  As a result, someone else got the opportunity.  I remember the disappointment of not being chosen and my questioning if I would ever get another chance.  As I talked with my mentor about what went wrong, he simply told me that I need to express confidence in my abilities.  Not to brag.  But to assure them that I was fully capable of managing the task.  The next time I was offered the opportunity, I was ready.  “Yes, I have studied the program, and I’m very comfortable talking about it.  I’m ready!”  Sure enough, they not only gave me the opportunity to train but it also got me noticed to later become an instructor at the end of the year conference.  All it took was a little display of confidence.

Sometimes, we need to be confident in expressing what we know to be true especially as Christ followers.  In a class I was teaching, it focused on something that is important for us to remember.  It’s not bragging if it is fact.  Now sometimes, I know it is bragging when you are trying to glorify yourself greater than the accomplishment itself.  But to speak about how good God is in your life and to give clear tangible facts on how He has changed you is not being boastful.  It is sharing facts.  I think about Paul when he spoke about boasting saying, “Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!” (1 Corinthians 9:16) So why do we struggle to share?  Perhaps because we cannot express it as we feel we do not know God’s word well enough or have had a bad conversation when trying to tell someone about God.  Others were either turned off or resentful that you attempted in the first place.  However, the issue is we try to talk about the God we do not know.  The key is in our confidence on who God is, and that is not just in our story but in God Himself.

We can always be confident about our faith because of how God has shown up in our lives.  In our journey of faith, there are numerous times where we remember God just showing up.  Each time is a subtle reminder of how utterly dependable He is in our times of need.  Those moments reinforce what we know about Him, and they should serve as not only proof of His existence but also the reason we should feel as Paul was: compelled to tell of the goodness of Jesus Christ.  In conversations I have had with people who were critical of both who God is and Christians as a whole, I have become extremely comfortable in saying, “That’s not who we are,” or, “That’s not the God I know.”  While it is great to rely on scripture at times, we do not need a scripture per say or even a reference to a specific lesson taught by Christ to share who God is.  We only need our own story of redemption.  Why?  First, because only we can tell it.  Second, because we know it is true as we lived it.  And third, because it is God inspired through His Spirit.  We have been given a new life that is an eternal gift that can neither be taken nor given away.  Paul had been given direct instruction from Jesus himself on the road to Damascus, and his experience allowed him to speak boldly, unabashedly, and unapologetically. That is why Paul spoke with confidence, and it is why we too can speak with certainty that God is who He has been for all our lives.

It is never easy to be the center of a story especially one where you fell short of who you are.  I am sure Paul never saw himself being the man to lead a movement let alone one where he once persecuted members of it, and yet, here he was leading, boasting, and speaking freely inspired by Jesus Christ to do His will.  You see, it is not about us.  It’s about Him.  So even if you are not comfortable speaking to the masses, know that God chose you for a reason, and your story is an amazing one to be told to others.  Let us be fueled by the confidence that can only come from knowing we are children of God.  What doubts do you have about your story?  How can you have confidence to speak of about God?  My prayer is that we are both reassured by and confident in God because it’s not bragging if it is fact.  Amen.

Written by Kent Williams for The Hope Fellowship