John The Witness -
December 12, 2000
John the Baptist and I keep crossing paths so I guess
that means God wants me to learn something from this
excellent example. This past Sunday in church the sermon
touched on John when he referenced Isaiah's "Prepare ye
the way of the Lord" (John 1:23) and our pastor talked
about preparing our hearts for Christmas and Christ
himself. Then tonight Pam and I were studying the book of
John and there was John the Baptist again. This time a
different thought struck me. Many times John is said to
"bear witness" or "testify" about Jesus. John had a very
important and prestigious calling, to announce the
arrival of the Messiah, and yet he never took any of the
glory for himself. He simply pointed others to Christ. A
few chapters later John makes a comment that I think sums
up his attitude. In John 3:30 while talking about Jesus
He says "He [Jesus] must become greater; I must
become less." That should be a motto for all of us, yet
how many times does our ego get in the way of our
ministry?
Pam and I recognized this temptation long ago and have
made several decisions about how we present ourselves. We
try very hard to promote God and not just ourselves. That
is the reason we have chosen not to carry anything that
just elevates us (photos, logo shirts, mugs, keychains,
etc.) on our product table. We do have our name on
things, but we make sure that the main message on every
item points people to God and not us. Please don't think
that we are condemning other groups or adopting a "holier
than thou" attitude, this is just how we keep our focus
where it belongs. We want to be like John and have people
look past us to the One worthy of all the attention.
What about you? When you do something for God are you
hurt if there is no public recognition? When you serve on
a committee do you want things to be done your way or
God's way? Do you make sure everyone knows how generous
you are in financially supporting your church? How about
when you sing a special song in church, do you soak up
the applause or step back and let that be a praise
offering to God? I'm not saying it's easy ... our human
nature loves to be the center of attention. But we should
all look to John's example and make sure we are helping
others see the Savior and not the servant. I believe we
will all be rewarded for what we do for God. You have to
decide if you want your reward now in the form of praise
from people, or later from the riches of God Himself.
Trust me, it will be worth the wait!
