What are you bragging about today?

I’m engaged…getting married in 131 days (to date)…and, if you haven’t figured it out yet, am deeply in love. And I’m not ashamed to say so. In fact, I have to hold back my urge to brag about him.

I remember the first time I took him home to meet my family. My greatest fear was that my family wouldn’t catch wind of all the wonderful things I see in him. My friends told me not to expect that – I was the privileged one to know him to that depth. I was the one in love – everyone else is “just friends and family.”

There is something about love that just makes you want to brag about the person. Usually the word “brag” has negative connotations. But what else does C.S. Lewis mean, then, when he says:

“The world rings with praise - lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game - praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians of scholars.”

What you brag about conveys where your heart is, what you are caught up in, what amazes you, stirs wonder in you…

What are you bragging about today? The Psalmist tells us praise of God should be a daily occurrence. Is it for you? Even the rocks cry out…but do you?

Praise of God comes from an understanding of God’s greatness. How much of it have you fathomed lately?

The point is, the praise of God should be inviting! He is glorious! Everything about Him ought to take your breath away to an infinitely greater degree than the way you can’t stop showing off to others that movie you loved, or the new Coldplay CD! Praising God ought to be the most delightful activity you could engage in – so much so that you pursue it daily. You go back to Starbucks again and again for the soothing taste of a Hazelnut Latte (or whatever is your favorite drink), so, too, immeasurably more, should not your hearts be returning again and again for more tastes of God?

So why don’t we? What keeps us from praising God? We are like dumb, mute fools for going through even a day without ever singing His praises!

Oh that our hearts would be softened, our minds be inspired by the very Words of our Creator, that our entire beings be caught up in the moment of praising – of bragging – of inviting the people and the world around us, to see this Glorious God who actually calls us His children! Amen and amen!

P.S. Thanks, Walt, for ushering our hearts into the glorious view of God yesterday at church, such that I can't help but continue to invite others to the same...