The Sin Christians Brag About
Title: The Sin Christians Brag About
Category: Emotional Issues
Subject: Worry
The Sin Christians Brag About!
Dr. Vince Hefner, Pastor
First Baptist Church
Cherryville, North Carolina
The dictionary defines the word "brag" as the "ability to assert or talk boastfully." The Bible mentions both "brag" and "boast" in positive and negative ways. However, most of the time we use these terms in our conversations in a negative way. One of the most aggravating situations to find yourself in is when you are talking to someone who is bragging about something they have, they have done, they are going to do, or someone they know that has accomplished something wonderful or earth shattering.
No one wants to admit to this sin, simply because they feel everybody should feel about themselves and their loved ones as they do! Hardly is this the case, because most people are interested in the lives of others. Life would be dull if we became too wrapped up in our own lives and not concerned about the lives of others. The question we must ask ourselves is "How much information am I willing to give to others concerning my accomplishments or the accomplishments of my loved ones?"
I have listed a few tell-tale signs to see if you are bragging in a conversation. If the person listening to your enthralling story is not making eye contact with you, but instead is looking around the room searching for the "Exit" sign, you might be bragging. If the person listening to your story hasn''t spoken in the last few minutes of your conversation because you haven't stopped talking, you might be bragging. If you ask the person how they are doing but don't wait on a response from them, you might be bragging. A good rule of thumb in watching for the danger signs of bragging is to make sure your conversations consist of talking and listening, not just talking!
Bragging is temptation for most of us, even if we don't want to own up to it. However, can you believe that there is a sin that people brag about? That's right, we are not only tempted to brag about the good things in our lives, we are also tempted to brag about the bad things in our lives. Folks, I don't want to brag, but this is my sin! I may not always tell people what's on my mind, but it is so easy to get caught up in the negative things of life. I have discovered that I can spend a great deal of time worrying about things that haven't happened nor will they likely every happen. That doesn't make any difference to me, I can worry over an imaginary problem like a dog chewing on a bone.
The ultimate source for the sin of worry is our lack of a proper relationship with God. When we spend time worrying over the issues of life, we are telling God that He can''t handle our problems and we must come up with our own solutions. If you ask a Christian whether or not God can handle all the issues of the world, he will tell you, "Yes, God knows everything and has control over everything." Then if you ask them why they worry about the issues of life they will get quiet and once they give it some thought, they will tell you that worry is a sin. It is good to remind ourselves that God loves us all the time, and that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
My favorite Scripture on this matter is found in Philippians 4:6-7, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Make sure the sin of worry doesn''t control and rob you of true peace that can only come from Jesus Christ. Don't give in to sin. Think about it!
Dr. Vince Hefner, Pastor
First Baptist Church
Cherryville, North Carolina
The dictionary defines the word "brag" as the "ability to assert or talk boastfully." The Bible mentions both "brag" and "boast" in positive and negative ways. However, most of the time we use these terms in our conversations in a negative way. One of the most aggravating situations to find yourself in is when you are talking to someone who is bragging about something they have, they have done, they are going to do, or someone they know that has accomplished something wonderful or earth shattering.
No one wants to admit to this sin, simply because they feel everybody should feel about themselves and their loved ones as they do! Hardly is this the case, because most people are interested in the lives of others. Life would be dull if we became too wrapped up in our own lives and not concerned about the lives of others. The question we must ask ourselves is "How much information am I willing to give to others concerning my accomplishments or the accomplishments of my loved ones?"
I have listed a few tell-tale signs to see if you are bragging in a conversation. If the person listening to your enthralling story is not making eye contact with you, but instead is looking around the room searching for the "Exit" sign, you might be bragging. If the person listening to your story hasn''t spoken in the last few minutes of your conversation because you haven't stopped talking, you might be bragging. If you ask the person how they are doing but don't wait on a response from them, you might be bragging. A good rule of thumb in watching for the danger signs of bragging is to make sure your conversations consist of talking and listening, not just talking!
Bragging is temptation for most of us, even if we don't want to own up to it. However, can you believe that there is a sin that people brag about? That's right, we are not only tempted to brag about the good things in our lives, we are also tempted to brag about the bad things in our lives. Folks, I don't want to brag, but this is my sin! I may not always tell people what's on my mind, but it is so easy to get caught up in the negative things of life. I have discovered that I can spend a great deal of time worrying about things that haven't happened nor will they likely every happen. That doesn't make any difference to me, I can worry over an imaginary problem like a dog chewing on a bone.
The ultimate source for the sin of worry is our lack of a proper relationship with God. When we spend time worrying over the issues of life, we are telling God that He can''t handle our problems and we must come up with our own solutions. If you ask a Christian whether or not God can handle all the issues of the world, he will tell you, "Yes, God knows everything and has control over everything." Then if you ask them why they worry about the issues of life they will get quiet and once they give it some thought, they will tell you that worry is a sin. It is good to remind ourselves that God loves us all the time, and that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
My favorite Scripture on this matter is found in Philippians 4:6-7, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Make sure the sin of worry doesn''t control and rob you of true peace that can only come from Jesus Christ. Don't give in to sin. Think about it!
