Published 10/29/19
By Greg Johnson
What If...
You’re not known for being smart. Oh, your report cards aren’t ever bad and you participate in class discussions a lot, but you’re not known as The Brain. The best you’ve ever done is two A’s and the rest B’s.
However, this year you decide to try your absolute hardest to see how high you can get your grades. All of the studying cuts into your play and TV time a little, but you’re determined to do your best.
Your midway grades look good. Four A’s and only two B’s. Mom and Dad are impressed. So is your teacher. He comments about it the next day at school. That makes you even more determined. You really believe it’s possible to get straight A’s for the quarter.
Every day after school, the first thing you do is your homework. If you don’t understand something, ask your mom (who seems to always know the answer and points you in the right direction).
On the final day of the quarter you get your grades. Opening the envelope you see they are all A’s!! Immediately, you start asking everyone around how they did on their grades—so they will ask you how you did. If they don’t ask, you tell them anyway.
“I got straight A’s!” you say, waiting for them to say something nice to you. After you work your way through nearly the whole class, your teacher sees what’s happening. He comes over and says he’s glad you did so well, but you shouldn’t be bragging so much; most of the kids didn’t do as well as you.
Questions to Think On
• What does the word “brag” mean to you?
• It’s natural to want others to notice you when you do well in something, but some people overdo it. How do you feel when others brag about something they’ve done?
• Do you feel like you get enough attention at home for the good things you do?
• What would you rather have someone do: notice you after you mention something good you’ve done, or notice you before you tell about what you did?
What Does God Have to Say?
Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
(c)