He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30
What is life about! The very first answer in the Westminster Shorter Catechism states, "The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." That is it! We go about this life trying to cram everything in and make it all about us. That is because we are broken. But when we come to our senses through the revelation of Jesus Christ we realize that life is all about God. That doesn't mean that we don't think about ourselves. It means that we refocus our attention to living for God.
Today's passage is an excellent example of this. John the Baptist was a person who was called to prepare the way for Jesus. John came on the scene in a wild way. He ate locust and wild honey--a weight loss program for sure!! (Expect to see it on TikTok soon! -- LOL) He was dressed in the latest fashion -- Camel Hair! He came preaching, baptizing and calling people to turn their lives around for God. The Bible says that all of the people went out to see him and hear his message. Though he might have been a weird, He had own disciples and was popular.
When Jesus came on the scene, John told everyone that Jesus was "that Guy!" That He was the Anointed One of God who he had been talking about. Then Jesus began to get disciples and people began to follow Him. The followers of John the Baptist got a little concerned. The told John, and John told them, "He must increase, but I must decrease." He was content to Live in the Shadow of Jesus. Why? Because John understood that Jesus was greater than he was and that He the real solution to all that he had been talking about.
This is what is important for us to realize. We aren't the answer. Even if we are doing good things and helping people turn to God, we must still realize that they don't really need us. We are still sick and in need of a physician. We are only the signs that God is using to point them to Himself. It is in Christ that others will find healing, forgiveness, peace, and joy in this life. We must not only be content to let Him become greater in their lives, but also learn to point to Him as the One as the only One in whom they can utterly trust in because He is Greater than I.
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