Faith

What Should Men Of God Boast In?

I have been under services where the Pastor made a boast of his ability to buy a jet from one of his pockets and how it won’t shake him. At that time, I was inspired, inspired to get to that level of success.

I have also heard messages where the pastor boasted about how much they have, or how many gifts they receive, all these weren’t a concern until I started comparing the present faith and church to that of the bible.

So if a Pastor really must boast about anything to his or her congregation, then he or she must boast about the very same things the leaders of the early church boasted about.

These are some more biblical things to boast about as a preacher;

1. Suffering for Christ

Take a cue from Apostle Paul, Paul saw the things he suffered for Christ as a worthy reason to boast. The truth is if you are really serious about your faith as a Christian, you are bound to face persecution, this is something we can’t avoid.

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him – (Philippians 1:29).

As a preacher who understands that as we boldly declare the Gospel of Jesus we would face opposition, you must share experiences that inspire the church in that direction. Look at Paul’s boast:

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. – 2 Cor 11:24-30 (NIV)

We do not see a single example in the bible where a preacher boasted about material possessions or how much they received. Click To Tweet

2. Manifestations of Spiritual Gifts

A preacher should boast about the manifestations of Spiritual Gifts in his ministry.

Paul once wrote to a church and said he was grateful to God that he spoke in tongues more than all of them (1 Corinthians 14:18). What!!!! That is some serious bragging rights, considering that he was not writing to a church with a small population.

On another occasion he spoke about a man with multiple revelations and visions, apparently, a good study would make you realize that he was speaking about himself (2 Corinthians 12:1-5).

Why it is important for preachers to make an emphasis on manifestations of spiritual gifts is, we are admonished to covet spiritual gifts, but how do we covet something that you can’t see or you are not told about. Also what better example can we have than the ministry gifts we have been given by God (1 Corinthians 11:1, Ephesians 4:11-13).

Whatever a preacher boasts about will be desired by his/her members. Be it earthly possession which breeds covetousness or spiritual gifts which breeds spritual growth. Click To Tweet

One major way to get a congregation to desire something is to make an emphasis on that subject. Paul’s emphasis and boasting in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s power in his personal life will make his members desire such gifts, which is the right thing to do. As against boasting in your earthly wealth and painting it as a sign of spirital maturity, which will also breed scuh carnal covetousness in your members.

3. Generosity and Industry

I put these two together because I believe they go hand in hand.

A preacher rather than boast on what he has must rather speak of either his or his congregation’s ability to give, especially when things are not so pleasant. But to give you must have and to have you must work, at least that is the bible way.

So we see an example of Paul speaking to a church about another church that had excelled in generosity, regardless of the hard times they faced (2 Corinthians 8:1-6).

For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. – 2 Cor 9:2

In another place Paul talks about how rather than be a burden to anyone, he worked so he could have to take care of himself and those around him (Acts 20:33-35).

I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” – Acts 20:33-35

4. In the people you’ve raised in Christ

One major thing we saw Paul boast about quite a lot in his letters were the people he brought and raised in christ.

Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. – 2 Thessalonians 1:4 ESV

I face death every day–yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 15:31

Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. – 2 Corinthians 7:4

Over and over, Paul boasted about the people he has been opportuned to bring into the faith, he boasted about their faith, their love for other belivers, their steadfastness in the face of persecution, their generosity to others and more. A preacher today should be able to do the same.

Have you invested so much in the lives and growth of your members that you can speak so higly of them like Paul did?

At this point it is good to strike a balance, this does not imply that you speak of your acts of generosity as a way to pamper your ego. But a preacher must speak of acts of generosity in a way that it encourages others to do the same. Also, the Bible encourages us to give to those who teach us the word of God, but this privilege must never be abused by the recipient (1 Corinthians 9:7-19).

A preacher should not speak of his acts of generosity as a way to pamper his ego. But a preacher must speak of acts of generosity in a way that it encourages others to do the same. Click To Tweet

So, in conclusion, we do not see a single example in the bible where a preacher boasted about material possessions or how much they received. We also see that they avoided boasting about natural things like their marriage, children e.t.c It is good for a preacher to be a good example in the way he manages the natural aspects of his life, but they must never be a thing to boast about. Such boasting would only breed greed and covetousness in the church, which are both sinful.

Preachers in the bible avoided boasting about natural things like marriage, children… A preacher should be a good example in the way he manages the natural aspects of his life, but they must never be a thing to boast about. Click To Tweet

Thank you for reading, I would love to know your thoughts in the comments section.

Related Article; DEAR PREACHER

About author

Articles

Tolulope Oludapo is a young Christian who lends his voice through the media by sharing practical wisdom for everyday living in the most experiential and simplified fashion. This has fetched him the direct followership of over 30,000 users on his blog, lifegiva.com. A blog he founded. He loves to write on varying subjects that affect life, faith, relationship...everyday living.
Related posts
Faith

How to Deal with Addictions: Stories from Real People

Addictions are hard to overcome. They can affect our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual…
Read more
Faith

Balancing Faith and Busy Schedules: 4 Practical Tips for Devotion

Do you struggle to find time for God in your hectic schedule? Do you feel guilty for not spending…
Read more
Faith

The Bible and Polygamy

Recently, popular Actor and movie producer- Yul Edochie, announced on social media that he has a son…
Read more
Newsletter
Become a Lifegiva

Get the laest articles, merch deals, personal Q&As, behind the scenes, unmissable news about Lifegiva and more!

Sign up for our Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & freebies. Let's stay updated!

2 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *