Can we brag about God?

Psalm 34:2I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.

The world will always see godly bragging as counterintuitive: Those who seem to have the least right to brag—those who are helpless in sin and helpless in life—boast that God is their present and eternal hope. But in fact, this is the only thing worth bragging about.

Jeremiah 9:23-24This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

The world assumes the right to brag about riches, power, and wealth, which turn out to be fleeting and eternally worthless in comparison with an intimate, personal knowledge of God. When we brag about our knowledge of God, we don’t claim to have arrived at that place on our own. Rather, we remain in awe that God would reveal himself to us in his love, justice, and righteousness.

1 Corinthians 1:27-28, 31God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. . . . Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

You are tempted to brag in an unhealthy way when you feel ashamed of your weakness and want others to see only your strength. But when you understand that God’s power works in you despite your weakness and not because of your strength, you’ll want everyone to see your weakness so that God’s power shines through you even more brightly! God often does his greatest work through unimpressive people, and this turns all human boasting into humble praise.