Be Wary of “Christian Horn Tooters”!

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“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips,” declares Proverbs 27:2 ESV. In other words, don’t toot your own horn because God doesn’t. He rarely praises Himself in the Scriptures because He doesn’t have to; He is already full of infinite greatness, so who are we to think that we should do it? To do this is arrogance on our part, and no one wants to hang around a “horn tooter”! It is not necessary to “wear Jesus on your sleeve” because if what you are doing is truly for God, others will see Jesus in you without your uttering a word. Now, don’t get “horn tooting” mixed up with witnessing. I Peter 3:15 (ESV) affirms, “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” In other words, defend the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but do not boast and turn others away. Therefore, be careful of “Christian horn tooting”!

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone you know is a Christian, but that person overtook the conversation with “the Lord this”/“the Lord that,” yet you could not get a word in edgewise or bring up another subject? This can be a big turnoff to someone who is seeking the Lord and His guidance. What happens is that this “Christian horn tooter” is self-praising, in other words, boasting instead of witnessing. “Holier than Thou Christians” leave no room for self-growth in the Word. Remember when you are witnessing that God blesses more besides just you, because His blessings are for anyone who desires them and does what it takes to receive them. Let others praise you! Further, notice in the Word that when God identifies Himself, it’s not just who I am, but who I am to you. Read and study these examples in Genesis 5:1, Genesis 15:7, Exodus 15:26, Exodus 20:2, and Numbers 18:20.

A word of caution to the “Christian Horn Tooters”: people will watch you and find out who you really are. Paul asserts in 2 Corinthians 10:18 (ESV), “For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” If the one who deserves all glory and praise in heaven and on earth is willing to wait and to work for others to give it to Him, how do we, who deserve no praise at all, dare to snatch it for ourselves?

Always abound in the faith, and never leave home without Him!