“In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me…” (Rom. 15:17-18)
Pride and boasting do have a place in the life of a Christian but in an unusual way. When we boast we do not boast about our talents and strengths but about all that Christ has accomplished through us despite our weaknesses and flaws and our propensity to sin. When Christians boast, they are to boast in their brokenness and weakness, so that the power of Christ is magnified in the sight of all.
The Christian life is an exercise in giving credit to others for the good accomplished through us. Seeing the opposite in a servant of Christ – especially in a Pastor – is a giant red flag. A man who boasts of all he has accomplished in his own strength is headed for a fall that will drag many down with him. We see this over and over again in churches, and yet we seem wired to admire brashness and boastfulness in Pastors. It should not be so.
To be clear, just like Paul, Pastors are to be bold and unafraid to stand for the truth of God’s word, but each one must keep this perspective in mind: that what is accomplished comes about in spite of his weaknesses, not because of his strengths.
