I must decrease

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

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 Two years ago on 26th of February was my sister's wedding. The bridegroom was the perfect match for my sister by His Grace and His Providence and I was the most joyful person one could have met on that day. My joy knew no bounds. My joy had no barriers. I was only bustling with joy. Verse 29 from John chapter 3:  "The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete."

When the groom has his bride, the best man is joyful. He's not jealous or angry, because that outcome is exactly what he wanted in the first place. In this way, John the Baptist has acted like a best man for Jesus. The bridegroom is the Messiah; the bride is the Kingdom of God- the church, consisting of all who are willing to receive Him. Hence the beautiful lesson we learn from John in verse 30 is "He must increase, but I must decrease." The purpose of John the Baptist was to exalt Christ, not himself.

The world we live in is in a way like bats. Bats don't ever go the right way up. They fly sort of head down, and they hang feet up head down, and basically, that's the way they think the world is. So the world in a way think very much like that.: "me first".

When we make Jesus the centre of our lives, when He is placed first, we can be assured we will be doing the will of our Father. Wherever we are, whatever vast or insignificant our ministry for our Lord may be, when Jesus is the centre stage in every role and area of our lives we are sure to say:  "He must increase, but I must decrease."

"No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven." (John 3:27). The next lesson we learn from John the Baptist is when Jesus's popularity was increasing, John the forerunner prophet was not jealous, but glad to tell that everything we receive is from our Father. Thus, if Jesus is getting all the recognition even that is from above. Likewise the simplest of thing, like the meal we eat; to greatest blessing we receive, is all from our Creator. Hence our every success we must attribute it to God. Without His permission not even a sparrow in His care will fall to the ground.

To sum up whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Let Him increase and we decrease for the Love of Christ.

Reflection on John 3:22-36 by Shalley Fernandes