2 Corinthians 10:15—”Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,”
When we look around us, we see our neighbours change their mobiles every few months to sport the latest offerings of the popular brands; in the office, the laziest and constant avoider of work gets the promotion as ‘manager’ after you have worked hard and showed results for the last 15 months; family members display the results and awards of their children in your face continually. Should we be perturbed?
We are all here with a purpose – to spread God’s Word and the gospel of Christ. The Bible mentions, in 2 Corinthians 10, that we do not compare ourselves with others, or measure ourselves by their measures (which is their own measures of themselves). This comparison/measurement is not recommended because we cannot boast about something which is not our own; something that is given to us – a talent, a gift, a blessing. On the contrary, remembering that it is given to us makes us humble. We are not in a race to see ‘who is superior’. That just takes away the whole point. We confine our boasting to our service for God, not like what we used to do (boasting about ‘me’ and my achievements) before we came to know our God, our Savior. We cannot attain more than what God has planned and provided for us, even if we try to stretch our blessing/talent/gift. We use our gift – the boldness in Christ – to preach the gospel to others. We cannot rely on our strengths, talents, efforts; instead, we must have hope based on our faith in Christ. When our faith grows, our service for God will increase in proportion. God will provide for, bless and make us ready for our tomorrows in life. We must use our talents/gifts/blessings to spread forth the gospel of God; we must not grumble or complain about leisures, or provisions, of others in the meanwhile.
When spreading the gospel, we cannot barge in on the work of others, interfere with others’ ministries, or demand a place with them. We should not intend to move in, on what others have done, or take credit for it. Instead of praise for ourselves, we should strive to get ourselves approved by God. For it is not us, but God, who judges and commends us for our work because we judge with our opinions and maxims of the world around us. What you say about yourself means ‘nothing’ in God’s work. It’s what God says about you that makes the difference. ‘If you want to claim credit, claim it for God.’ In a word, let us glorify in the Lord, our salvation. Let’s treat all other things only as evidences of His love, or as a means to promote His glory. Instead of praising ourselves, or seeking the praise of men, let’s desire and strive for that honor which comes only from God.
