A trio of old veterans were bragging about the heroic exploits of their
ancestors one afternoon down at the VFW hall.
“My great grandfather, at age 12,” one declared proudly, “was the youngest
drummer boy at Gettysburg.”
“Mine,” boasted another, “helped load the cannon at Ft Sumter that started
the whole war 150 years ago today.”
“I’m the only soldier in my family,” confessed vet number three, “but if my
great grandfather was living today he’d be the most famous man in the
world.”
“Really? What’d he do?” his friends wanted to know.
“Nothing much. But he would be 168 years old.”
Well, I guess you can always find something to brag about if you try hard enough! Have you noticed that just about everyone likes to brag about something, and it goes beyond the “fish tales” regarding who caught the biggest fish. You can find people “weaving yarns” everywhere and they will brag about anything if it makes them appear better at something than someone else. We just can’t seem to accept the fact that we are not the best or most important person on earth.
Nearly all our conflicts revolve around our attitude concerning self–our inflated view of our goodness or importance. That’s why we speak so much about “our rights”. We feel we deserve more, bigger, and better than others. And that creates contention.
The truth of the matter is that none of us have anything to brag about. If we could see ourselves through God’s eyes we would realize that the very best among us are nothing but sinners. The only good thing about anyone is Jesus. We might fail or sin in different ways, but we all are dirty, rotten, vile sinners, undeserving of anything good. Even the worse people might do some “good deed”, but that doesn’t make them good. None of us are good. None of us have anything to brag about. None of us have cause to compare ourself to anyone. The only standard by which we have a right to compare ourselves is the perfect Son of God, and none of us measure up to Him. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore we have nothing to brag about. That’s why Paul wrote,”But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ–“(Gal. 6:14). Now that’s something worth boasting about, and all the praise goes to Him and none to us. Think about it!
