He Must Increase, But I Must Decrease!

"And it came about while He said these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice, and said to Him, Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts at which You nursed. But He said, On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it" (Luke 11:27,28).

Only the Son of God would be able to show this much "humility" as people surround Him and "hang" on every word He speaks. People offered compliments and praised the Christ and His response was to bless those who were willing to observe the Word of God.

God's Word has the power to create and to destroy. I have seen so little "humility" in the churches and pulpits today. I too, wanted a pulpit and the "pats on the back" and the "Atta boys" that go along with a good message, but our Lord didn't want any part of it. He was particularly attracted to those whose heart was "fixed" on God's Word and their obedience to it. It seems like John the Baptist had a good handle on this concept of humility when he said in John 3:30 that "He must increase, but I must decrease."

We have an awesome responsibility to direct people toward Jesus Christ and His guidance and then we have an "obligation" to step out of the way. In the world today we see so many "I's" that some don't even know and may never know the Christ. We HAVE to get out of the way of Christ as He works His way into the hearts and lives of others. We plant the seed then move on. We take no praise or thanks with us. We merely "get out of the way" of the Holy Spirit. The above verse in The Gospel of John seems to be the only place to see the proper use of the word "I" anymore.

We would do well to remember who is to receive the glory in our actions as we are led by the Father's hand.

Dave