I really love this portion of today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.
He must increase, but I must decrease. — John 3:30
If you become a necessity to a soul, you are out of God’s order. As a worker, your great responsibility is to be a friend of the Bridegroom. When once you see a soul in sight of the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been in the right direction, and instead of putting out a hand to prevent the throes, pray that they grow ten times stronger until there is no power on earth or in hell that can hold that soul away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we become amateur providences; we come in and prevent God, and say — “This and that must not be.” Instead of proving friends of the Bridegroom, we put our sympathy in the way, and the soul will one day say — “That one was a thief, he stole my affections from Jesus, and I lost my vision of Him.”
Beware of rejoicing with a soul in the wrong thing, but see that you do rejoice in the right thing. “The friend of the Bridegroom…rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” This is spoken with joy and not with sadness — at last they are to see the Bridegroom! And John says this is his joy. It is the absolute effacement of the worker, he is never thought of again.
Do you see what this is saying? So many times over the years I have seen various ministers minister to their people in such a way that the people never grow up, but become increasingly dependent on them for everything. This can be a real power trip for some, but it is NOT the Biblical way to minister! What should happen is what I have seen happen with my own Pastor at The Spoken Word Church. He has taught us what the Word has to say on every subject you can mention, and then has provided us with resources (books, tapes, CDs, videos, DVDs) where we can continue our own personal study on the subject. He began instructing us from the very first services that we should never believe something just because he was teaching it, but that we should be as the Bereans and check everything out in our own Bibles to "see if it were so" (Acts 17:11)! This is true Biblical ministry! This does NOT mean that as a minister I should never meet with people for prayer and counseling. What it DOES mean is that I shouldn't make them feel as though MY prayers and knowledge is what will deliver them! The Truth is that if I am doing MY job well, every person I minister to will become more proficient in the Word and in prayer so that as they continue to grow, they will come to the place of being able to help other people, just as I have helped them! Our Father wants each one of us to be in position to help each other, and other people, so that ALL of us may get ourselves in position to have and show a life that is overflowing with good things that bring glory to His Name! AMEN! Look at John 10:10:
10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
AMEN! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Brighter":
Shalom in Him!
