Psalm 146:2 "I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Delighted to Fade Into The Background!

Hi Everyone,

I've been thinking about what it means to be a bond-servant of the Lord--the thrill and the joy that it is to serve Him--even if it is in the smallest and unnoticeable ways.

John 3:22-33 "After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.(This was before John was put in prison.) An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful."

It is interesting that the disciples were interested that another man was baptizing others and that "everyone" was going to him. But it is interesting that John was not concerned about the fact that maybe he himself was not baptizing as many other people as the other man---John seemed unconcerned saying that, "a man can only receive what is given him from Heaven." John then restates the purpose for which he is there-that he 'IS NOT the Christ, but was sent ahead of Him." He is concerned about doing what God has called Him to do and fulfilling His purposes. His joy is in waiting upon the Lord and listening to His voice.--essentially obeying.

John continues by saying that Christ must become greater, and he (John) must become less. As I read that, it made me think. How often do we get involved in ministry to look good or to try to become great? I HOPE NEVER, but if we are honest with God and ourselves we might discover a different answer than the "never." I know this is becoming a life and ministry principle for me in the future as well as today, so I am totally talking to myself as well as you dear reader.

Our goal as we serve Christ as He asks us to, should not be to "become great in ourselves." Rather our desire should be to "become less." Because He is the One that is great--not us. Jesus Christ is the ONE WHO IS ABOVE ALL--we don't compare to that at all.

So we can serve humbly and delighted, not in a derogatory self-pity poor me sense, but rather out of joy--Because JESUS CHRIST IS INDEED GREATER---no servant is greater than their master.


BECAUSE OF ALL THAT JESUS IS, WE CAN SERVE DELIGHTED TO FADE INTO THE BACKGROUND AS HE HIMSELF BECOMES GREATER IN OUR LIVES.
WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH OBEYING WHAT HE HAS CALLED US TO DO AND NOT COMPARING OURSELVES WITH OTHERS OR WONDERING WHY WE AREN'T "CALLED" TO WHAT THEY ARE DOING. WE ARE ALL SIMPLY HIS VESSELS AND CHANNELS TO BE USED AS HE SEES FIT!!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!! IT ISN'T ABOUT "US"---IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS CHRIST!!!!

No comments: