One writer offers these tips on how to be assertive without bragging. He says don’t promote yourself unless you are asked. Don’t compare yourself to others, putting them down. Let other people speak for you. He cautions lastly, that you need not pour scorn on yourself. People who boast or count on their achievements to gain favor with God make a terrible mistake. That’s because God will not allow anyone to brag or boast to find favor with Him. The Apostle Paul makes that point in explaining that a saving relationship with God cannot depend upon the ritual of circumcision or any human effort. He writes in Galatians CH 5, “Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: if you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.” He explains that being right with God can only come when we place our trust in God’s own provision of giving us his Son to die for our sins. Some people want rituals to keep, or rules to follow, so they can boast about their achievement. Of course, rituals have their place; and God wants us to do good deeds, but He wants us to recognize that our abilities and power to achieve come from him, so there is no room for boasting.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
