“He must increase, but I must decrease."- John 3:30 ESV

This is one of my favorite scriptures in the Bible. It is a few, powerful words, spoken by a humble friend and servant of Jesus.

John the Baptist was different than most in appearance and habits. But he was also somewhat different from many other Christ followers, then and now. John knew Jesus was the Messiah. John the Baptist also realized he had been anointed by God to tell others about Jesus. He was to tell others to follow Jesus, not him. In order to do that, John had to decrease; he had to humble himself as a servant, telling others to follow someone else rather than his own ministry. That was the only way to accomplish the work he had been called to do. The presence and identity (The Light) of Jesus had to increase. John had to decrease. This is why John said He must increase, I must decrease.

Boldness to Serve

The same is true for Christ followers and ministry leaders today. He calls us to be messengers of the Good News. But the struggle to share the message of Jesus Christ is real. The enemy is always trying to shift our focus. Not everyone is going to celebrate what we are called by God to do. Like John the Baptist, we may be ridiculed and slandered. And that is okay. Our suffering is nothing compared to how Jesus suffered for us. As John demonstrated, we must humble ourselves and pray to stay grounded and not caught up in worldly teasers.

It's Not About Us

Like John the Baptist, we must remember it is about Jesus. We must trust Him. And, we must be bold in love toward others, and in our service for Him; asking the Holy Spirit to guide us each moment of the day so that all we do, honors and glorifies God. The presence and identity (The Light) of Jesus must increase. He must increase, I must decrease.