This Week's Topic: The Problem of Pain

Boasting and Humility

“This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. 3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell. 5 That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses."   
2 Corinthians 12:1-5 (NLT)        


Reflect

Paul had been to “heaven and back”. He had met Jesus and saw and experienced the world that will one day fill our world. We know about the Kingdom of God from Jesus and Paul who had each been there. Yet neither used that knowledge as a weapon or point of pride or in any way to be superior. Jesus went to the cross and Paul was reviled and martyred. Each proclaimed that their strength was found in their human weakness and in God’s strength. 

Paul was genuine in this. Let’s make sure we do not express the false humility that speaks of weakness, but is really just bringing attention to oneself. True humility is not thinking less of oneself, rather not thinking of oneself at all.

Prayer

“Lord, help me to be grateful for every glorious encounter with you and to view every experience of humiliation, failure, and pain as a tool that you are using for your sake and, yes, for mine as well. Amen."