BIBLE PASSAGE:
He must become greater; I must become less.
(John 3:30)
MEDITATION:
One of the unique things about the way God created us is:
He allows us to make our own choices in life.
God didn’t make us so that He could be the puppet-master
and pull our strings. He didn’t want us to be akin to robots
that are programmed for everything. We wouldn’t want to
have a friend of that type, would we? And we wouldn’t want
to be able to make every decision for someone else.
When we consider that He created us with freedom to choose,
how are we doing with our choices? Do we want everything
our way and when it doesn’t happen, do we experience stress
in our life? When other people want things their way, and it
conflicts with our way, it can cause problems, right? Anytime
there is a clash of selfishness between two people, it will create
stress in both lives.
‘Hypochondria’ is a mental condition (sometimes referred to
as an ‘illness anxiety disorder’ or ‘health anxiety’) that can
be the cause of stress in the life of a person.
It involves worrying excessively that you are, or may
become seriously ill, even though there may not be
any physical symptoms. It can cause one to believe
that normal body sensations, or symptoms we are
having could be the signs of a severe illness, even
when a thorough medical exam doesn’t reveal any
serious medical condition. It can create an extreme
anxiety when body sensations, such as muscle twitching
or fatigue, are present. It can cause one to believe they
are signs of a specific, serious illness. This anxiety can
cause severe distress that disrupts one’s life. It can cause
a person to have feelings of melancholy and/or depression.
‘Melancholy’ is a gloomy state of mind; becoming
sad and unhappy; a type of sadness that persists
without any obvious reasons.
These conditions can create stress in our lives and cause us
to develop a type of self-pity and self-centeredness, because
we become overly concerned about ourselves to the point of
having little, or no interest or concerns about the struggles
of others.
Many of us can suffer from a case of spiritual nearsightedness.
In other words, we can tend to focus only on the things which
have a direct influence and impact on our own lives, and fail to
consider what others may be experiencing.
This type of self-centeredness can not only suppress the enjoyment
of living for us, but it can also inhibit or destroy joy in the lives of
others. This is not the way God wants us to be, nor is it the lifestyle
Jesus expects of His disciples (those who are following Him).
As followers of Jesus, we are expected to live lives that flow out
and have a positive impact on others, as opposed to drawing
everything into ourselves. When Jesus spoke to the rich young
ruler, He was concerned about the man’s selfishness.
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your
possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure
in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
(Matthew 19:21)
Since Jesus reads the hearts of men, we can see that He was more
concerned about the ruler being released from his selfishness, than
He was about others benefitting from his wealth being given to the
poor. Jesus knew the devastation that selfishness could have on the
life and personality of the young man. He also knew that if the man
would put others first, it could inject a new joy into his own life.
It is a lesson for believers as well. When is the last time you (or I)
sacrificed our desires so we could encourage or help someone else,
without expecting anything in return? Does everything we do and
think revolve around ourselves and our desires, or do we follow the
example of Jesus and reach out to others? Have you ever thought
about the effect our selfishness and negativity have on others (and
especially on those who are close to us)?
When Jesus saw Peter and Andrew fishing to provide for their own
needs, He invited them to discover a new life of doing things for others.
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw
two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.
They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish
for people.”
(Matthew 4:18-19)
He invites us to do the same thing when we are a part of His
family. When we put Jesus in His rightful place in our lives,
we will replace selfishness with an attitude of giving. Why?
Because we are relinquishing more of our lives to Jesus (the
greatest Giver).
When we voluntarily give Jesus more control of our thoughts
and actions, we are surrendering our will for His will, which
means we are becoming less so He will become greater in our
lives.
Instead of trying to incorporate Jesus into our way of living,
we need to delight in immersing ourselves into the lifestyle He
desires for us. Does that mean we will become robots? Certainly
not! It means we have made the decision to become less so that
He will become greater.
ACTION:
We should ask ourselves:
– How much influence does the Lord have on
my thoughts, habits, desires, and actions?
– Is Jesus more in control now than
when I first committed my life to Him?
– Is Jesus becoming greater, and am I becoming less?
– Am I so wrapped up in myself that I overlook
the issues that are affecting the lives of others?
– When I look at the life of Jesus, I can see that
He was more concerned about the lives of others.
Am I becoming more, or less like Him?
– Does my life and attitude contribute to the benefit
of others, or do I discourage them because my
selfishness communicates to others that they are
not important?
– Do I proactively seek to encourage others, or do I
only check on, or encourage them as a reaction to
when others show concern about me?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, You know unequivocally what is best for me.
I know that my thoughts and decisions could never compare to
Yours. If I am to allow You to be more active in my life, I realize
that I must start becoming less selfish and self-centered. Teach
me the joy of doing things for others. Help me to be more sensitive
to the needs of those around me and to be aware of how I can lift
their spirits by a kind word or deed. Show me how to become an
encourager, and especially to those who are sick and hurting and
those who are dedicated to serving You. I pray that You will help
me to be more willing to sacrifice my desires so I can be helpful
to others. When I can focus more on encouraging and uplifting
others, I will know that You are becoming greater in my life and
I am becoming less.”
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