We are seven days into 2020 and I wonder, does it still feel like a new year, a new decade? Have we already fallen back into old habits? I started this blog with this funny name approximately 13 years ago. I will admit, I am not a blogger. I am not a consistent blogger. I am not a good blogger.
I decided to try and begin to write short blurbs to attach to church emails, to follow up on Sunday sermons, share my heart, prayer requests and other things that come up.
This past Sunday I preached a message from John 3:22-30. The focus verse in this text is the popular, "He must increase, but I must decrease" verse 30. As I read the totality of the text I noticed that John could have easily fallen into the trap of constant comparison to Jesus. His disciples were comparing him to Jesus, but John was consistent in his testimony. He would constantly testify that he was not the Christ and that he had complete joy in being in the shadow of Jesus. His goal was not for him to get more followers, but for Jesus to be lifted high. His goal was for Jesus to increase and for him to decrease.
I tried to stress that this should be our resolution for the New Year. Let us all lift Jesus high in 2020 by being more intimate with him than active for him; being humble and rejoicing in Jesus; not comparing ourselves to everyone else, but being content in what God has given us and using it for His glory.
I firmly believe that if we apply the example of John from this text to our lives, we will lift Jesus high and others will be drawn to Him.
Pastor Garrett
