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I was poking around the internet for a friend of mine yesterday, looking for some music, and I ended up on this popular worship leader's website. One of the tabs on top said, "store", which would hopefully lead me to the album I was looking for. Sure enough, it did. But then I saw another tab I thought was interesting..."clothing". What? So, I clicked on it, and lo and behold, there were t-shirts with this leader's picture on it. I was rather shocked and amazed. Really? Dude, you're not that cute, and 'no', I don't want your mug plastered on the front of my shirt...! That was just a little too self-promoting, in my book.
How often, though, are we being self-promotional in our lives? Are we trying to make a name for ourselves, or a name for God? How easy is it to take the praise of men for ourselves, and not turn a stitch of it toward our Creator? Rather easy, if we're not careful to keep our ego in check, I'd say.
John the Baptist's very life was purposed by God to prepare the way for Jesus. His birth and life was prophesied by the angel Gabriel:
" . . . He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” ~ Luke 1:15-17 (NLT)
And as he grew, he recognized his call -- his need to be 'less', while the Messiah became 'more'. And I believe that John was fulfilled in life as the 'lessor'. I don't think he struggled with where his ministry was going, and why weren't the cameras on him like they used to be, and where were the big crowds that used to gather, and how come I don't get the fan mail like I used to . . . He knew His purpose, and that purpose was to exalt Jesus Christ.
That is our purpose, too. So, are we? Is it our goal to step aside so that people see Jesus, instead of us? Hmm, that might just go against a few grains, huh?
"Greater love has no man than this, than he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13, NIV) We say, "We love You, Lord..." with our mouths, but then don't want to lay down our egos and the praise of men before His feet. We want our picture on a t-shirt, so people will look at us and say, Oooh, look! There's so-and-so! Aren't they great? Don't they (insert talent) AWESOMELY? Don't they do an A-MAZ-ING job? We want to be on youtube and have a bazillion hits on our videos -- oooohhh, we're sooo popular...
In the math world, it's called the "less-than" sign. >
In the music world, it's called the "decrescendo".
(decrescendo symbol used from http://www.mymusictheory.com/)
Although these symbols appear to lack power, the mystery of spiritually becoming less of ourselves and more of Christ is the true "greater-than" -- the highest "crescendo"! To have the fullness of Christ because we have chosen to lay ourselves down is the greatest height we could attain to.
So, I ask you: Who's getting the glory in your life these days? Are you crescendo-ing for yourself, or decrescendo-ing for Jesus? Let His name be on the marque of your heart and mind, so that the world will see His name in lights! He deserves all praise and glory, for only He is worthy. Only He is holy. Only He loves with an everlasting love. Only He. Only He...
Love,
Joelene
2 comments:
Please either credit my website (www.mymusictheory.com) with the image of a crescendo which you are using on this post and took from my site, or remove the image from your post.
I apologize for using a graphic that you have on your website without your permission. I got this symbol from Google images, and I really was not aware there was a copyright on this graphic. I have given credit to your website on this blog entry.
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