Nobody likes a boaster or bragger. Boasting is self-centered. It shows that we think we're better than others. When we boast, we're obsessed with ourselves and our accomplishments. But we all do it. Parents boast about their kids. Athletes boast about their awards. Students boast about their grades.

Paul boasted too. But what made his boasting unusual was that he boasted about something completely outside himself: the cross of Christ. He was obsessed with Jesus and his work on the cross. Paul had many things that he could boast about, such as his heritage and his careful obedience to the law. But he realized that the cross of Christ was his only real reason to boast. Only that could give him eternal life.

If we're looking for something to boast about, let it be the cross of Jesus. The cross marks a new beginning for us with God. It's where our sins were put to death. It's where our forgiveness was secured. It sets a new direction for our life with new pleasures, passions, and pursuits—a life lived for God.

When our boast is in the cross and what Jesus accomplished for us there, we'll have a good start at staying near the cross. Let this be our prayer this month: "Jesus, keep me near the cross."