He Must Become Greater; I must become less

I went for a walk alone downtown and I spent it pretty much talking to the Father. When I reached the harbor front I was very pleased with the beautiful scene of the full moon and its light reflection on the water. But deep inside my heart was heavy as I had many worries. So I decided to walk back and keep talking to the Father, then I thought, “Why so busy and always in a rush? Sit down for few minutes, rest, relax, enjoy the scene and focus on your prayer.” So I sat down looking at this serene sight, and I started praying again but my worries were still there–I still didn’t have inner peace. Then I decided to pray the words of John the Baptist in John 3:30 “He must become greater; I must become less.” So I prayed those simple words with all my heart fully meaning these words, and with no anger or bitterness toward God I said, “Oh, Lord, may You increase, and may I decrease.” And just like that my worries disappeared and I had peace. I sat there for few more minutes thinking, “Why did this prayer work?”

You see the Christian life is not about me, it’s about Christ. It’s not about my age, it’s about the time He has given me. It’s not about my career, it’s about the talents He has given me. It’s not about my promotion, it’s about the place He wants me to be. It’s not about my marriage, it’s about the godly family He wants me to lead. It’s not about my children, it’s about the godly off springs He desires me to raise. It’s not about how much money I make, it’s about being grateful for whatever He has given me and using it for His purposes and glory. It’s not about my hurt feelings, my unforgiveness, my justice, my vengeance, my getting even, it’s about the Christ-like character He desires me to have. It’s not about my dreams, it’s about His plans. It’s not about my goals, it’s about His will.

Toronto, ON; summer 2011 by Fadi

The Christian life is not about me and about Him, oh no, it’s all about Him. It’s not about me living independently and incorporating Him in my life, oh no, it’s about living dependently on Him and remaining in Him as a branch remains in the vine. I cannot possibly claim to be a Christian if His will is not my will, His purposes and plans are not my purposes and plans, His concerns are not my concerns, and what breaks His heart is not what breaks my heart.

The Christian life is not about Him loving me and me also loving me! The Christian life is like a godly marriage (the Bible after all calls the church the bride of Christ): the husband desires and wills the well-being and is concerned with pleasing his wife, and the wife desires and wills the well-being and is concerned with pleasing her husband. Our role as the bride of the Christ is to love the Lord by obeying Him. But we won’t obey Him if we are self-centered. And if we are self-centered then worries will cloud our lives, making it near impossible for us to obey Him and rendering us useless. Our focus has to be on Christ, and by that I mean on Christ’s spiritual and eternal purposes and not on our earthly and temporary needs and desires.

We say we are walking by faith, which sometimes mean we hope Christ somehow miraculously will do our will if we trust Him! We say we are living the Christian life, which sometimes mean we are going to church, and tithing! We say God has blessed us, which sometimes mean we have a good paying job, a big house, and an expensive car! We say God is good, which sometimes mean we are physically healthy and our children each has 10 fingers and 10 toes!

What if our will won’t be done? What if we don’t make a lot of money? What if we never get our dream job? What if we never get married, or never get married in the timeline we have drawn for our life? What if our bodies are broken, and our children are physically or mentally ill? What if others mock us and gossip about us? What if we never meet the “beauty” and “perfection” standards of this wicked world? What if we are in need—financially, physically, or relationship wise—does that mean we are outside of God’s will? Absolutely not! It could very much mean we are in the very center of His will! What if all those things and even “worse” things happen? Will God cease to be great, trustworthy, loving, good, and just? Absolutely not! God’s character does not depend on our circumstances or attitude! Did you know that God was just as great before He created anything? Did you know that if God had not sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, and we are all doomed to eternal condemnation and separation from God, He would still be loving? God sent His Son to die for the sins of the world because He is love, and not He is love because He sent His Son to die for the sins of the world—Jesus Christ’s death is the expression of the fact that God is love.

We need to stop being earthly minded and stop worrying. We need to focus on Christ’s will, and surrender to Him–we need to love Him. May be I should stop praying, “God, what’s Your will for my life?” This prayer makes me think that it’s my life, it’s not because it’s His since He bought it with the precious blood of His Son. Maybe I should start praying, “God, what’s Your will through the life You have given me? Lord, what do You want to do through me?”

If you are having a spiritual problem: worry, bitterness toward man or God, unforgiveness, disappointment, emotional need or pain, unmet need or desire, unfulfilled dream or goal, fear, and so on, then I encourage you to go surrendering your everything to Him keeping in mind the words of John the Baptist, “He must become greater; I must become less”–the Christian life is not about you, it’s about Him.