“He must become greater; I must become less.”
- John 3:30 NIV
I was sitting on the porch this morning watching my human drink his coffee and read his Bible while keeping an eye on the yard for some kind of foreign movement. A dog can dream, can’t he?
But then he started talking about John the Baptist and how he understood something that a lot of us have trouble figuring out.
It’s not all about me.
John had been preaching, baptizing, and preparing the way for Jesus. Then somebody came along and pointed out that folks were leaving John and going to Jesus instead. You’d think that might have hurt his feelings. After all, nobody likes being overlooked, especially when they’ve been doing their best.
But John didn’t get jealous. He didn’t start comparing numbers or trying to get folks’ attention back. Instead, he pointed everybody toward Jesus and said something worth remembering:
“He must become greater; I must become less.”
Now, I’m a dog, so I’ll admit I like a little attention. A good belly rub, a kind word, maybe a treat for doing absolutely nothing. I figure I’ve earned it just by being me.
And I’ve noticed my human likes a little recognition, too. We all do, don’t we?
Sometimes our pride gets hurt when somebody else gets the promotion, receives the compliment, or gets noticed for doing something we thought we did pretty well ourselves.
Other times, things go our way. We get the recognition, the position, or the applause, and pretty soon we start thinking we must be something special.
Either way, we can lose sight of what matters most.
He’s greater. I’m less.
That doesn’t mean we have no value. God made us in His image, loves us, and gives us gifts to use. But those gifts aren’t meant to build monuments to ourselves. They’re meant to point people toward Him.
Whether we’re leading a church, raising a family, working a job, serving a neighbor, or simply trying to get through an ordinary Tuesday, our lives ought to help people see a bit of Jesus.
The question isn’t whether folks notice us.
The question is whether they can see Jesus in us.
When we’re overlooked, can we still serve faithfully?
When we’re recognized, can we remain humble?
When somebody else gets the spotlight, can we celebrate instead of compete?
My human took another sip of coffee and looked out across the yard. I wondered if he was thinking about all that or like me, breakfast… even a dog can learn something while waiting on his next meal.
Maybe the best way to measure a day isn’t by how much attention we received, but by how faithfully we pointed somebody toward Jesus.
Today, I’m going to do what a dog does best. I’m going to follow my master.
And my human?
I hope he remembers to follow his.
Because the world doesn’t need more people trying to prove how great they are. It needs more people willing to make much of Jesus.
“He must become greater; I must become less.”
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
