John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. John 3:27-30
I watched a movie recently about Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team. In the movie, Moneyball, Billy is given an offer to go to a bigger market ball club, the Boston Red Sox. According to the movie, Billy faces the choice of going to Boston and receiving more money and recognition, or staying in Oakland to spend more time with his daughter.
It’s always amazing when someone who has the opportunity to be “greater” in the world’s mind decides to pass on that “greater” opportunity. John seemed to have been one of those amazing some ones, having the ability to gather large crowds as they came to be baptized and hear about the coming Messiah.
As in John’s and Billy’s lives, many times the option that leads us to truly greater things means making others more important than ourselves. It involves gut-wrenching decisions to sacrifice what we’ve always wanted. It includes giving up a part of our identity that we considered so valuable and exchanging it for His greater purpose. And anything greater that we can be or do only comes from simply removing ourselves from being a barrier to what He wants to give us. We are not supposed to be the barrier, but the best man! And we should be glad to stand with Him, filling with joy in His most glorious moments.
Pray— Jesus, help me to remember this life is not about me. Help me to decrease, so You can increase in my life.
Blogged by Pastor Reagan
No comments:
Post a Comment