John 3 is one of my favorite chapters in my favorite Gospel! John the Baptist has been asked about the fact that people were flocking to Jesus to be baptized now instead of to him. His response:
30 He must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]
John was so confident in his calling and ministry that he was undeterred when people questioned him or harassed him. He was also NOT intimidated by others in ministry. He knew WHO called him and what he was called to do. He also knew when his ministry was changing, and he had no problem with this! It is very sad to see competitiveness in ministry. Remember that Jesus Himself said this in Luke 9:50 when His disciples were upset that someone else was casting out devils in His Name:
50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. KJV
The religious leaders of this time were upset with what Jesus was teaching because they could not compete with His Truth! They felt the pressure of their own positions, not realizing Who it was that they were up against! They SHOULD have been working WITH Him! AMEN! We should ALL model our attitude towards our individual ministries after John's. We should also have the attitude found in verse 30 above concerning our personal lives. Our goal should be to become so filled with His Spirit and His Word and His Life that HE shines through, so that people see less of US and more of HIM! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with a song that says this very thing! "You":
Shalom in Him!
