John 1:8
God sent John the Baptist as a witness to
the fact that Jesus Christ is the true Light. John himself was not the
Light; he was only a witness to identify it.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
I
saw a meme online that said, “I am not a control freak…but can I show
you the right way to do that?” This pretty much sums up some of us and
our Christian discipleship. We are not Jesus…but we pretend that we are
anyway! Let us tell you how things should be…let us decide what is
right and wrong in every situation – and declare it loudly.
Let
us tell you how you ought to act and what you should believe. And
while we are at it…allow us to ride in on our white horse and save your
day! While you are at it, be sure to remind us how wonderful we are…how
wise and “spiritual” we are…how we must have a direct line to God,
because we are just.that.good!
Here’s the thing…John the Baptist
was “all that and a bag of chips” in the world of Christian
discipleship. And yet, he was humble…honorable…and respectful of his
position. John the Baptist was not Jesus…and he not only knew this – he
made it abundantly clear to others. John even tried to refuse to
baptize Jesus, because he knew that He was unworthy of such an
experience.
John the Baptist knew his place as a Christian disciple. He knew the blessings and glory of serving
Jesus…and he also knew that the spotlight was never to be on him. I am
afraid in too many areas of our own lives, we have put ourselves on
pedestals. We have declared that WE can fix things…that OUR opinions
are the ones that matter…that we are so far superior to the other guy in
every way that matters – and a few that don’t. And we have pretty well
obliterated our Christian witness in the process.
Make this the
day that you humbly return to center…that you shift your focus away from
yourself - and onto Jesus. Do whatever it takes to get back into
perfect alignment with God and find your rightful place as Christ’s
disciple. Identify His light…and allow it to shine brightly for the
world to see.
Recognize that of all the things that you may control, the Light of Christ is not one of them. Step aside and truly serve.
Let others see Christ's glory…not yours…so that they might receive His
precious gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit for themselves. Never
ever say or do anything that might be a hindrance to God’s Kingdom. The
time to begin is now. Are you ready to relinquish control?
©2016 Debbie Robus
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