"To Boast or Not to Boast"
“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:30 (NIV)
I thought it was a weird sign for an airport. I looked up at a giant billboard which read, “You are smarter and stronger than you think.” I found it odd that the airport was trying to boost my self-esteem. Although there’s nothing really wrong with this positive message, I thought a better slogan to broadcast for an airport might be “Adventure Ahead” or “Your safety is our top priority.”
I pondered that sign. For some reason, it bugged me. You are smarter and stronger than you think. Then I realized why I was bothered. When we believe we are the ones who are ultimately smart and strong, where is the need for God? The truth is, we aren’t as smart and strong as we think. Constantly propping up the ego leads to pride.
On the contrary, we are in desperate need of God. He is the one who is smarter and stronger than we think. Instead of boasting about our intelligence or strength, we should brag on God’s. The Apostle Paul leads the way as we read in today’s key verse, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30). That runs counter to the world’s way of doing things.
Lord Jesus, You are my strength and my defense. I humble myself before You, and I declare in my weakness, You are strong. There is no other like You. Thank You for clothing me in Your power and righteousness. I am enough because of You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Teamwork
Bees fly about 55,000 miles to make just one pound of honey. That’s more than two times around the world! God created these amazing insects to be great at teamwork. As many as 80,000 bees live in a hive, and a hive can produce more than 80 pounds of honey each year. That’s a lot of honey — maybe even more than you weigh!
The incredible part is that each individual bee makes only 1½ teaspoons of honey during its entire lifetime. But bees can make a lot of honey because they work together!
Teamwork also allows people to do more together than they could on their own. A wise king named Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
On a piece of paper, list some of the kinds of teams you can think of (examples: sports team, medical team). Now, answer these questions about each team:
- How do the members of this team work together?
- Why is every member important?
- What might happen if one or more members of the team were missing?
One of the most important teams is God’s team of believers, called the Body of Christ. Read or listen to 1 Corinthians 12:20-25 to find out why each team member is essential! What might happen if one or more members were missing? God created us (and bees) to work together and support one another. When we do, the results are sweet!
Dear Jesus, thank You for creating me to be part of a team. Thank You for giving me teammates in my parents, siblings, teachers and friends. I pray that You would help me work together with others to do all You have for us to do. Amen.