I just want to say, right off the bat, that when I write these, while I don’t have anyone in mind, in particular, I’m always writing to myself. I don’t presume to know everything, and I always need correction. I’m not perfect, I’ve not “made it” in my relationship with Jesus (and won’t this side of heaven), and I’m daily reminded that I’m a sinner who desperately needs a savior. Over the years, some have thought I was to self-depreciating, that I was hard on myself, that I pick on myself, that I need to “love myself more.” If I can say this: I don’t need to love myself more: loving myself is where I usually get in to trouble; indulging myself is usually the place where I start to veer off the straight and narrow path.
My hope is that, as I share my thoughts, experiences and feelings about my walk with Christ, you’ll fall in love with Jesus more. I pray that you’ll fall in love with the Bible, and, even if you struggle in reading it, you’ll make it a point to spend time in it daily, as you seek God in prayer daily. This is what we’re here for: to give glory to God. God gloried in His creation at the beginning, He glories in believers when we look most like the Image He created us to be. I pray that your whole life is on purpose, and that He is that purpose. I don’t pray that you’ll be a Christian and “… (spouse, worker, parent, etc.),” meaning “Follower of Christ” is the first title, and all other titles are secondary. My prayer is that you’re a follower of Christ only, and that because of THAT you can be a husband/wife, parent, friend, neighbor, worker, boss, and so on. Everything we do must be brought in to submission to Christ. It is then when we face our fiercest opposition from the Enemy, but it is also there where God is glorified, as He should be. As John the Baptist said when Jesus was gaining more popularity than He: “He must increase, I must decrease.” Increase His fame, decrease your name.
John 3:22-36
After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison).
Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
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