As long as we are in these natural bodies, we are constantly in a state of internal conflict. The fleshly desires that tell us to satisfy our own sinful nature pull us in one direction, while the Holy Spirit who lives inside each of us pushes us toward holiness and Godly living. In order to fully embrace our position as disciples of Christ, we must learn to decrease to ourselves so that we can truly increase in Him.
John 3:29-30 (ESV)
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly as the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.
John the Baptist spoke these words after a particularly powerful moment in Christ’s ministry. While we’re not going to look at everything that had preceded this proclamation, the fact that John the Baptist was the man who said it is very telling. John the Baptist had fully committed his life to the cause of Christ. Before Christ ever began his public ministry around the age of 30, John the Baptist had already walked away from society and lived life as a vagabond, wandering around the wilderness. He clothed himself with animal skins and ate locusts and wild honey in order to sustain himself. To John the Baptist, the only thing that mattered was reaching people with the Gospel of Christ. John the Baptist was so committed to the cause of Christ that he wound up being one of the earliest martyrs. He preached the Gospel of truth to a wicked king and queen who ultimately had him beheaded for refusing to endorse their ungodliness.
If John the Baptist, after everything that he had committed to furthering the Kingdom of God, believed that he needed to decrease so that Christ could increase, how much more willing should we be to do the same? John the Baptist was arguably one of the most influential people in the early Church, but he still believed that he needed to strive to put away the fleshly desires that he experienced in the name of allowing God to have an even greater control of his life.
What does decreasing look like? Even more importantly, what does it mean to allow Christ to increase within you? Understanding how to put this principle to work in your own life can ensure that you’re living the life of a disciple that God intended for you.
Resisting GOAT Status
Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
If you’ve ever watched a sporting event, you’ve probably heard people talk about someone’s status as the “GOAT.” The acronym, which stands for “Greatest Of All Time” is reserved for those who have gone above and beyond to achieve the kind of success that others can only dream of. Depending on the sport that you prefer to follow, you’ve probably heard any number of names considered the GOAT.
While there is nothing wrong with wanting to achieve some levels of personal success, it’s important that you don’t become obsessed with GOAT status. You can want to be successful in your job without being obsessed with being the center of attention.
God is not impressed with human pride. In fact, He detests it. Even if you’re simply interested in making a better life for yourself and your family, it’s crucial that you don’t allow pride to get in the way. Don’t become so obsessed with becoming the GOAT that you allow your own fleshly desires to increase. If that happens, the presence of God will decrease significantly in your life.
Finding Who You Are in Who He Is
John 8:58 (ESV)
Jesus said unto them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
The crowd that Jesus was speaking to when He made this statement were among the most important of the religious elite. These men found their very identities in who they were because of their ties to Abraham. In Biblical times, genealogy was one of the most important things about an individual, and the Pharisees and Sadducees were able to prove that they were of the lineage of Abraham. Their identity was based on who they came from and the positions that they held. Jesus shook their way of self-identification to the core by pointing out that He predated Abraham. Before Abraham was the father of the Jewish race, Christ was sitting in the Heavens at the right hand of the Father.
We often find our identity in our own successes and lineages. Perhaps you’ve come from a highly successful family, and that has opened up a number of doors for you. Maybe you’re the product of a good education and now hold a prestigious career. You may have obtained a great deal of personal and financial success in your life, but that’s not the source of your identity.
More than being a successful businessperson, you are a child of God. More than being the product of affluent parents, you are son or daughter of the Most High. That’s the point that Christ was making to the religious leaders of the day. Everything that they had accomplished, and everything that they found their identity in paled in comparison to His sovereignty. We know the same is true about us.
You can decrease to yourself when you understand that none of your accomplishments really mean anything in the context of eternity. Don’t build your identity on the things you’ve accomplished and your natural heritage. Instead, build your life on the foundation of God’s sovereignty and His plans for your life.
Keeping the Glory Where it Goes
Ephesians 3:20-21 (TPT)
Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ-and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen!
There are several battles that rage inside us at all times. We know in our hearts that we are called to live a life that pleases God, but our fleshly desires are always present. We know that we are called to forgive others, but we have a natural tendency to hold grudges. Most of all, we know that everything we have, everything that we’ve accomplished, and everything that we have is because God has blessed us with it. However, we are constantly in a position of struggle, because we like the adulation and applause that comes with our success.
After all, we’re the ones who put in the hard work to get the promotion, right? We’re the ones who studied for hours upon hours while our friends were out partying in college, and we’re the ones who got the A’s on the exams. We signed mortgage on the big new house, and it’s our name on the car loan. We want people to see our greatness and admire it, because we’ve worked hard.
God loves the fact that you’re willing to work hard for the things in life, but He also expects us to remember that He is the source of our ability to do so. In Deuteronomy 8:18, Moses declared that God gives His people the ability to go and get wealth. Any success that you’ve experienced in your life is because God has given you the means and the ability to go get it.
When you remember that He is your true Source, it’s easy to make sure that the glory stays where it goes. The glory is His, and you’re simply the beneficiary of it.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I know that You are the source of every good thing in my life. I will not be focused on my own achievements, but instead, I will focus on giving You the glory for it all. Thank You for being my God and for blessing me like You have. I will decrease so that You can increase. In Christ’s name, Amen.