Bragging
The Lord says:
Don’t brag about your wisdom
or strength or wealth.
If you feel you must brag,
then have enough sense
to brag about worshiping me,
the Lord.
What I like best
is showing kindness,
justice, and mercy
to everyone on earth. ~ Jeremiah 9:23-24 (CEV)
I am proud of the good news! It is God’s powerful way of saving all people who have faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. ~ Romans 1:16 (CEV)
Lord, it is tempting to focus on my accomplishments. But when I go there, I get stuck there. I never seem to be able to get back to thinking and talking about what you have done. And what you have done for the entire world is so much more important than anything I could ever do even in my small corner of the world. Help me to to quickly turn my focus on your powerful salvation -- your kindness -- your justice -- your mercy. I'm going to live as though it were all about you -- because it is. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
