I Must Decrease

 

Let’s be totally honest here, we spend A LOT of time focusing on ourselves.  We set our own goals, make our own plans and fulfill our own dreams.  We live life around others, but for ourselves a lot.  We look for ways to make ourselves happier…no matter the cost.  But what if that wasn’t right?  What if we were supposed to do something bigger and better with our lives than just finding (and trying to keep) our own happiness?  What if we don’t always have the best plan?  What if we haven’t thought of all the possible scenarios?  What if there is something bigger than us?  What if we aren’t really the “#1” in the phrase “looking out for #1?”

In the 55^th chapter of the Old Testament book Isaiah, the prophet tells of the compassion of the Lord.  The first part of the chapter calls for the poor and the hungry to come and be filled.  There is logic presented that, at first glance, doesn’t make sense.  Those without money are told to “come, buy and eat.”  How can someone without money “buy” anything?  A blessing is promised to those who listen to, and follow, God.  All we have to do is seek Him and He will be there.  We must follow God and then we will be blessed.  But, as we travel along we will not always understand everything.  We have two choices, think earthly or think Godly.  God tells us here that His thoughts and His ways are not the same as ours.  In fact, He goes on to say that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  There is a return on what He does.  There is a lasting benefit to the things that God does.  He thinks further ahead than we do.  He doesn’t just see the “big” picture, but the eternal picture.

We like to think that the plans we have for ourselves are as close to perfect as possible.  But sometimes, life throws a curve our way.  Sometimes tragedies (losing a family member or friend, losing a job, health issues) come out of nowhere and we don’t know what to do about them.  It’s time like this where the words of Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon can really start to make sense.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).  There are a couple things that this passage can let us know about the trials we face in life.  Firstly, we may be facing trials because we wandered too far from God.  The people in exile had forgotten God.  They had left Him and looked to themselves too much.  They needed a reminder, so God gave it to them in the form of Babylonian captivity.  Secondly, the exile was temporary.  God had a timeframe in mind when He allowed Babylon to take His people captive.  Thirdly, God is never far from us.  He tells the people that He is easily found.  If they look for Him, they will find Him.  The same goes for us today, if we look for God we will find Him.  He is waiting for us to find Him.  There are many other lessons we can gain from this passage, but in times of trial it’s important for us to remember that there is a higher and better plan than what we may see.  God is near and involved.

The ways of God and the plans of God are higher than we will ever understand on our own.  If we want to focus on ourselves we will never understand all that He has in store for us.  If we keep making ourselves most important and the center of everything, we will never reach our full potential.  John the Baptist realized this.  Talking to his followers about Christ and which of the two of them were greater, John reminds them that he had always said he was sent before the Christ.  He goes on to say that Christ must increase, but he (John) must decrease (John 3:30).  What a mindset to have!  For Christ to succeed in our lives He must increase and we must decrease!  It is a hard thing to do, but we can and must put Christ before all else.  It seems as though it goes against human nature to put someone else before ourselves, yet we do it often with our spouses, our children and sometimes even our friends.  The people that we love can take a spot of priority higher than we give ourselves, so why is God any different?  As James points out in his letter, we must humble ourselves before the Lord.  When we do that, He will lift us up (James 4:10).

We think we have it all figured out.  We think we know the best things to do and the best ways to do them.  We think we can take care of ourselves.  So did the Titanic.  It was given multiple warnings about ice and dangers in their path, but they were too busy to listen.  They had more important personal matters to take care of than to worry about some silly ice.  After all, they were in the unsinkable ship.  Some of the best minds of the day had built it.  Don’t get stuck on your own Titanic.  Listen to the warning signs.  Let the example of the Israelites show you the need to turn to God.  He knows more than us.  He has compassion for us.  He wants us to succeed.  Let Him increase in your life by making yourself decrease.

Father God, we know that you are the Supreme and Holy God.  We thank you for watching over us and never leaving us.  Help us to seek You, knowing that You will be there.  We know Your plans are better than ours and better for us than ours.  Help us to turn to You more often.  Thank You for sending Your Son.  Thank you for making plans for us.  Amen.

He still said “Father”

It is easy, when persecuted, to verbally blast the offender.  It is easy, when berated, to return the insult.  The easy way out for man has always been the quick, knee jerk reaction.  Very seldom, however, is this “easy way out” the Christian way out.  When verbally attacked we tend to want to do the same to the other person.  We want to strike back and worry about the consequences later.  The words of Solomon as he wrote the book of Proverbs ring true to this day:  “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.  Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent” (Proverbs 17:27-28).

It is human nature to attack when we feel threatened.  It is human nature to want to strike back after we have been struck, but the teaching and example of Christ shows us something that we need to practice in our own lives.  After the mock trial, the beating, the embarrassment…after everything that man could do to Him including nailing Him to the cross His first word recorded for us was “Father.”  The very claim that made the Jews hate Him to the point of putting Him to death was the first thing out of His mouth.  Through everything He faced, His “religion” stayed firm.  He stayed focused on the goal, on the mission.  He responded to the mocking, the beating, the berating and the persecution with prayer.  Not prayer for vengeance.  Not even prayer for Himself.  Prayer for those people who were wanting Him dead.

How should we respond?  People may challenge our faith or our stance on something.  They may berate us and verbally attack us for anything they can come up with, but as Christians we need to make sure we don’t give them anything to use because of our reactions.  We must stay calm, cool and collected…in short, we must stay Christ-like.

Thank you, Lord, for the example You have left for us.  Thank You for showing us how we are to handle tough situations in ways that please and honor You.  Help us to always keep You and Your example first in our minds and be slow to speak and to act.  Help us to remember the sacrifice that was made for us.  Amen.