Have you ever been around someone who just can’t stop bragging? Maybe they’re constantly saying things like, “I’m the fastest runner in our whole grade!” or “I got the highest score on the test...again!” or “My family has the biggest house in the whole neighborhood!” After a while, listening to all that bragging gets pretty annoying, doesn’t it?

Or maybe you’ve caught yourself doing it too. Perhaps you scored the winning goal in soccer, and you told everyone about it for three days straight. Or maybe you got a new video game and couldn’t stop talking about how awesome it was and how you were already better at it than anyone else.

There’s something about bragging that makes us sound really immature—kind of like a little kid saying, “Look what I can do! Look what I can do!” over and over. The apostle Paul had TONS of stuff he could have bragged about. He was super smart, came from an important family, and did amazing things for God. But instead of bragging about himself, he chose to be humble.

The Bible has a better idea than bragging: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17, NIV). Instead of saying, “Look how awesome I am!” we can say, “Look how awesome God is! He’s the one who gave me these abilities!”

Take Action: Here’s a fun challenge: The next time you want to brag about something you did, try this instead. Instead of telling a friend how great you are, tell God “Thank you” for giving you the ability to do that thing. After all, every good gift comes from Him! Practice turning your bragging into thanksgiving. You’ll feel better, and God will smile!