Toot Your Own Horn

Standing around with Mike and Jeremy pontificating about the future of King’s basketball we are interrupted by Lizzie who displays one of her drawings to her dad. Mike remarks on her capable drawing of a dinosaur. Lizzie promptly corrects him that it is a picture of her hand with a bracelet and the father daughter banter begins to our delight. Once it dies down Lizzie looks at me and says meekly, “Sometimes my dad toots.” The father daughter banter is rekindled while Jeremy and I laugh! Now, for the sake of an article on the front of our bulletin, I’ll assume Lizzie means Mike toots his own horn every once and awhile. That is, every little engine finally makes it up the hill and toots the victory blast that proclaims, “I know I can!”

Now the dilemma here is that the bible challenge is to be humble and that the first will be last and the last will be first. So, should we toot our horns or not? Paul laments that Corinth forces him into boasting (i.e. listing his achievements, accolades and pedigree) and reflects, “In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast (2 Corinthians 11:17, 18).” Earlier he had quoted them Jeremiah 9:24 “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” The context of Jeremiah is a call for Israel to lament their unfaithfulness and not rely on their wisdom or their strength but their covenant relationship with the Lord. It seems that boasting is not the problem but what one chooses to boast about! When we esteem those who serve the Lord and recognize the faithful it encourages the body as a whole and honors the Father. Self promotion is the problem. Not introspection that acknowledges God’s gifts and His challenges that should be praised… that should be tooted!

So toot away… if it brings the spotlight to God’s wondrous grace and the joy of sacrifice in His name! If any man boast let him boast in the Lord for such acknowledges that God works within those who are working out their own salvation in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12, 13). And yes… I know Lizzie wasn’t talking about her father’s laudable achievements but she was giving testimony to Mike’s human reality. And I dare say that in a way she took some pride in the vulnerability of her hero… her father! Let us all stay humble in the eyes of a child. -DAN