He must become greater; I must become less. – John 3:30
Imagine being a successful pastor of a church that is exploding with growth, and suddenly you begin to lose your entire congregation.
Then, imagine being overjoyed about it.
This was precisely John the Baptist’s reality. His followers were leaving him to follow Jesus. The crowds that once gathered around John now flocked to Jesus instead. But instead of feeling threatened or bitter, John was joyful. He understood that his purpose wasn’t to build a bigger kingdom for himself, but to point people to the true King. His life’s mission was to prepare the way for Jesus, and when that happened, he was content to fade into the background.
Shouldn’t this be the heart of every believer, especially those in church leadership? The goal should never be to draw attention to ourselves but to make Jesus visible and known. John reminds us that our role isn’t to seek glory for the work we do in His name, but to live in such a way that people see Him in our lives.
What’s even more striking is that John didn’t quit when Jesus came onto the scene. He didn’t throw in the towel and say, “Well, Jesus is doing it bigger and better, so I’m done.” No, he kept doing what God called him to do. John knew his role, stayed in his lane, and honored God with his obedience. That kind of humility is rare indeed. It’s easy to want recognition for the things we do for God. But John teaches us that true humility is being content to decrease so that Jesus can increase. It’s about finding joy in His glory, not our own.
So how can we live that out? What does that look like? Maybe it starts with giving someone else credit when we could claim it for ourselves. Maybe it’s serving behind the scenes in a way that no one notices. Perhaps it’s just reminding ourselves daily that our lives aren’t about building our platforms but building God’s Kingdom.
Whatever it looks like for you, remember this: the more we let go of ourselves, the more room we make for Jesus.
Former Blackout Artist 