He Must Increase

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

In all the weddings I have performed and the many where my wife and I were simply invited guests, I have never seen the best man get upset because he was not the bridegroom.  John the Baptist saw his role as that of being the best man and saw Jesus as the bridegroom.  His job as best man was to direct all attention to Jesus. “He must increase, but I must decrease,” John said. He had made it clear that he was not the Christ; he was not the bridegroom. John was just the best man.

Our assignment as Christians is to direct all attention to Jesus and away from ourselves.  Our attitude must be similar to John’s, “Christ must increase, but I must decrease.” Jesus gives the assignments, not us. He alone forgives sin and saves souls, not us. The church is His, not ours. We serve Him, not the other way around.

We must get ourselves off the throne of our lives and, “bow our knees before Him and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)