Christians are not allowed to boast, so we sometime resort to the fine art of “Humblebragging.” It’s when you are trying not to appear as if to be boasting by pretending to be modest.Saying something like, “This old suit needs to be thrown away. Turning up at the Prime Minister’s office in this thing will be an insult to her.” Or maybe, “I think YouTube has a cheek blocking my video. Its not my problem that its so popular that it is affecting public opinion.”Our boasts are probably more mundane, but a boast is a boast, all the same.Vanity would be the chief motivator for self-praise, with ‘feeling a lack of appreciation’ coming a close second. Modesty and self-control must always be maintained by the Christian. We get the sense of the expected lifestyle when Jesus says, “Don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing” (Mt.6:3), with Paul adding, “lead a quiet life” (1Thess.4:11), and James warning us that there might not even be a tomorrow to boast in (Jm.4:13-14).John the Baptist could have pointed to his powerful and popular ministry as proof of his greatness. Instead he stated: “Jesus must increase, I must decrease” (Jn.3:30). He was not going to own any of the glory due the Lord.Rest assured that your good deeds for Jesus are not going unseen by the Master. Appreciation is appreciated. Genuine praise for a job well done should be common amongst the brethren. It uplifts the spirits and pushes us on the greater service in the Kingdom.Make a habit of keeping your self-appreciation to yourself. Peter passes on this promise worth remembering:“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1Pet.5:6). John Staiger
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