james 1:9-12

to boast or not to boast.

“Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements. God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him (nlt).”

Boast: (n) a source of pride.

At first, this section seemed random to me. it appeared a little out of place considering that we just talked about having joy and trusting God in our trials. And now James shifts the topic to “boasting.” That’s odd.

He states (according to the new living translation) that the poor can boast that God has honored them and the rich can boast that God has humbled them… this is interesting to me. James is encouraging the poor and humbling the rich…. But isn’t this what both groups need to hear? Don’t the poor need to know that they can boast in the Lord and that he has honored them even when the world doesn’t? And don’t the rich need to be reminded that that it was God who gave them their riches and as quickly as the flower blooms and dies is how quickly our life, and our stuff, will pass?

I guess it doesn’t really matter whether we have money or don’t have money, at the end of the day our life is as quick and short as a flower in the field (Now that’s humbling). Look at what the Lord says about boasting in Jeremiah 9:23,24:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,
declares the LORD.”

Like I said, at first this section didn’t seem to fit … but now I see how it fits perfectly. I used to boast about doing youth ministry as my career. it was where I found my security and identity. When I felt led to step down from youth ministry I was confronted with the reality of how terribly wrong i was. I had been boasting in something that didn’t last. i had found my identity in something that was meant to be a gift. I realize now that despite my career or service in the ministry, I have something far more dependable that I can boast in. my spelling…. Just kidding. But really, that I know the God who exercises “kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth.” that’s something to boast about.