You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Boasting about ourselves is wrong. It is one of the expressions of worldly passion and does not come from the Father (1 John 2:15-17). But it is not wrong to say that somebody else is excellent if they are. Supremely, Jesus Christ is wonderful in every way. Everything in His character and actions draws attention to Him and gives Him glory. And He should also be glorified as He works in us powerfully by His Spirit.
However, Satan never wants God to be glorified. The devil's evil tactics in distorting truth and presenting lies are unchanged since the Garden of Eden. He wants to entice human beings to disregard the authority and the power of God and refuse to glorify Him. Either Satan will tempt us to deny that God has been at work, or to take the credit for the good things God has done. Whichever way we are tempted, Satan seeks to lock us into a Christ-excluding self-centredness which keeps us away from enjoying the life of Christ; and keeps the life of Christ away from the people we live and work among. The Apostle Paul refused to do that but he linked that decision with the determination to glorify God by saying that whatever had been done in his ministry was because God had done it.
So we need to understand the Apostle Paul's personal strategy for dealing with these temptations: he served God wholeheartedly but in everything pointed to Christ Jesus as the one who has the power and should receive the glory. At the same time he refuses to boast about anything he has done. If we make the same two decisions, and allow them to work through in every experience of life, we will glorify Christ that His power is working in us, and those around us will be attracted to Him.
Prayer: Wonderful Lord. In everything, You are magnificent. Your character and actions demand that I should praise You. I am sorry when I have pulled back from wholeheartedly glorifying You and when I have wanted to receive the glory which should be Yours. Please help me to make right decisions about how I react to everything You do and how I should be glad to be Your servant. Help me to deal with my self-centred nature and enjoy helping others to see what a wonderful God You are. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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