One of my favorite passages of Scripture is in the Gospel of John, when John the Baptizer's disciples get offended at Jesus' works surpassing John's. They grumble and complain that Jesus' ministry is becoming more popular, that He is baptizing more disciples (though it was Jesus' disciples that did the baptizing), and that more people seem to be seeking Him out. John responds graciously, but one thing he says that sticks out to me is "He must increase, I must decrease." Isn't this the attitude we all should have? The works, the popularity (if founded in the Word), the glory all goes to God. None of what we do is about us, but is all FOR Him!
We, like John, must seek our own lives less, and seek God's will more. None of this life is or should be about us. In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said of those who do acts of righteousness for credit that "They have received their reward in full." Instead, our acts of righteousness need to be for God alone, and if this is our attitude, than we are not going to be offended when someone's star seems to rise and ours begins to fall. None of this is about us, it's about getting people reconciled to the Father through Jesus Christ. If we're seeking Jesus, then there's no room for us to be offended.
Loved ones, whose glory do you seek? Watch how you respond. If your life is All to Jesus, than rejoice in all circumstances, and praise the Lord as His Kingdom grows, whether you're involved or not. Hebrews 1:1-12 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son, today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”
Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”
