John the Baptist in speaking about Jesus said:
John 3 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
I believe pride is at the root of all sin, and pride is the chief sin in ministry. Pastors are continually tempted to draw attention to themselves. The nature of the work lends itself to this. We are always in front of people. People need us. We have many opportunities to make weighty decisions. To add to this, we live in an age that thrives on the “look at me” mentality.
I think we can be further drawn into this by the desire for our lives to count. Pastors often get caught in the comparison trap and want their work to be on display so it is deemed worthy by others. All of this creates a dangerous environment for a downfall. Hardly a week goes by that we do not read of well-known pastors who have yielded to temptation and brought reproach on themselves, their families, their churches, and the work of the Lord. Celebrity and pastor should never be used in the same sentence.
Pride can even be shrouded in a false sense of humility. If we are not careful we can point to the work we are engaged in, with words that say “all glory to God,” and what the real intention of the heart is, is for people to look at us. This is dangerous.
John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus said of him that there was none greater born of women, and yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him. John the Baptist was baptizing people in recognition of repentance and large crowds came to him. Yet he made it clear that Jesus came from heaven and is above all and must be exalted.
What are some ways that Jesus can increase in our lives and we decrease?
Remember who the focus must be on. Jesus it the Chief Shepherd. He is the Head of the church and Lord over all. Never take ownership of the ministry you are in to exalt yourself. Continually point people to Jesus. Our spiritual usefulness is directly connected to the measure in which we help people look to Jesus.
Get over yourself. We are vessels to be used by God. In and of ourselves we are not wise, or mighty, or noble. We are weak, and ordinary and depend on the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
No flesh should glory in the presence of God. Meditate on this truth and remind yourself of it daily. Nobody should be impressed with your education, or background, or experience. Most of all don’t be impressed by yourself.
Stay prayed up. As you live a repentant life stay close to the Lord. The moral failures and falls that we see so often typically result as a build up of sin.
Song of Solomon 2:15 Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.
Be on the lookout for the little foxes in your life that spoil the grapes. Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.
Build relationships with others who desire to keep the focus of their lives on Jesus. If you surround yourself with people who are intoxicated with power, attention, and accolades, you will be tempted to do the same. Seek out ordinary servants who love God, love people and want to make Jesus known.
Dear Lord, may the genuine desire of our hearts be for Jesus to increase and for us to decrease. Protect us from the world, the flesh, and the devil and be glorified in our lives.
