No Room To Boast
For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and this is not from you; it is the gift of God;
it is not from works, so no one may boast. (Eph 2:8-9)
As human beings, we definitely get in our share of boasting.
Boasting starts at a very early age.
I cannot help but think that a child’s first words — “Mine!” — are not only a shout for possession but also a boast that the possession truly is the child’s and no one else’s. From there, children lay claim to all sorts of things. They tell their friends that they are playing with their toys, by their rules, in their yards, et cetera. To have to give up home turf decreases one child’s opportunity to boast and increases another’s.
We continue to boast as we grow up. We tell our bosses and our co-workers that a winning campaign was our idea. We let people know that our business could not possibly get along without us.
We boast and we boast and we boast.
St. Paul reminds us, in today’s reading, that no one can boast when it comes to our spiritual gifts and our redemption. Even the faith we have is not from our own design or work. It is a gift, freely given, from God. Therefore, there is no way that we have the right to boast about it.
When was the last time that you thanked God for your faith? It has sustained you through many years. It has helped you endure much hardship. It has been with you in your celebrations. But, your faith is only yours because God gave it to you.
Thank him today.
FAITH ACTION: Write up a list of all the things for which you generally forget to thank God. Give Him the recognition and praise that is He due this day.