Recently while on a prayer walk I was reflecting on my
relationship with my Lord and Saviour, a verse came to mind that raised the
above question.
This self-examination of personal motives and relational
strength is a must for the Christian as it forces us to see things that
normally we are unaware of or simply choose to ignore. Along with my usual
prayers and songs, from time to time verses will come to mind as I converse
with the Holy Spirit. These are usually the result of questions I ask which are
sometimes answered, sometimes not. Silence is often echoed back and I am left
to ponder other questions, motives and actions in my daily life.
Today was different, today I was confronted with John 3:29-30
(KJV)
He that hath the bride is the
bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him,
rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is
fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.
For Context, John at the time was speaking to his disciples
and they were asking him about another who was baptizing people. As stated in
the verse above the friend of the bridegroom; in which he is indicating himself
as friend and Jesus as the bridegroom, rejoiceth greatly at his voice. And then
he further states by extension that his joy is therefore full, before making
the statement that he must decrease.
The big question here is why John said this and what impact it
had on me and what impact it should have for all Christians. It took me a while
to puzzle this out and what I am about to write is a revelation for my life and
perhaps not the reader. I do however strongly believe that all scripture has
meaning and speaks directly with every Christian where and when they are in
their walk with Christ, so here we go.
For me John stating this to his fellow disciples; people who
shared his belief in God and the message that he was preaching; the repentance
of sin, has particular importance. He wanted them to know that Jesus was more
important and that they should make a greater connection to him than anyone
else. Sure John was a great preacher and helped bring others to God, but even
he indicated his proper place by saying:
John 3:31 He that cometh from above
is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he
that cometh from heaven is above all.
But for me; as a Christian, the question became, am I a
friend of Jesus? Was I, and am I taking appropriate action so that those around
me, believers and non-believers know the difference. I imagined being there that
moment when John was speaking with his friends and I imagine his voice as a
reverent whisper, he must increase, but I must decrease. You see, I believe that
this moment in time was a revelation to him as well.
Since that event years have passed and Christ has left this
Earth, however he dwells within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. And our goal
and mission since that time is to spread the gospel to the whole world. This
knowledge coupled with the understanding that we are called to be Christ’s
hands and feet here on Earth until his return leaves no doubt in my mind. To
ensure that I too am a friend of the bridegroom Christ and to fully exercise
myself as a part of the body of Christ in service to him, I too must decrease
and he must increase.
Now I hear some of you saying, that’s crazy, how is that possible?
The key is by capturing every thought and daily submitting to the Holy Spirit.
I must choose the will of the father over all along with the shedding of all
personal goals, and agendas. The key to having God’s peace that passes all
understanding and abundant joy lies in our ability to take a back seat in our
own lives. By the way when I say decrease I me inwardly, in the soul, in the
heart, and in the spirit. Ask any Christian you know if they would consider
themselves to be worthy or perfect, I bet they say no. The same understanding
works here, to fully be able to do Christ work here, the indwelling spirit
needs to have control. Remember this
verse:
Acts 4: 12 Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there
is none othername under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.
In order to reach those who we are spreading the word to,
preaching to, sharing our lives with and calling to be saved; Christ must come
first. In order that we are successful in this great commission it is
imperative that Christ is seen and heard by those we interact with. So for me I
choose this day to become a better friend to Jesus and look forward to the
fruits of that commitment.
