"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. HE must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:29-30 (NKJV)
Strong's:
Fulfilled #4137 - pleroo - to make full, to complete
Increase #837 - auxano - to increase, to become greater
Decrease #1640 - elattoo - to decrease in authority or popularity
As another year emerges, it brings with it a fresh new beginning and a hope for a better year than before. People eagerly put together their New Year's Resolutions and set off on January 1st to make those all come true. But unfortunately, as the year moves forward and our lives seem to stay the same, those hopes and dreams of a "new beginning" seem to fade until they are a distant memory. Unfortunately, that is how some Christians begin their New Year as well. We make our lists of things we are going to "do" for God this year and then eventually we become overwhelmed with the responsibilities or situations of life and we "forget" what we had first been determined to do.
This begs the question, "Does God want His children to "do" for Him? "The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. HE has sent redemption to His people; HE has commanded His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is HE." (Psalm 111:7-9) "Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands." (Psalm 102:25) "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever." (1 Peter 1:25) According to Scripture, whose work endures forever? Who created the universe and everything/everyone in it? Who stands the test of time and NEVER fails? Who is glorified through all things? The answer to that question, is of course, the Lord God. God alone created all things and HE and His word remains forever. Nothing man does will last and we are hopeless without Him.
Now, does this mean that Christians are not useful to the Lord God or that we are excused from "working" for Him? Of course not! God created each of us with a unique purpose and a specific plan for our lives. But we must remember, that no matter what our individual calling may be, all of us have one purpose - To glorify the Lord God in all we do, say, think and believe. Henry Blackaby states in his book Experiencing God, "God is always at work around us" and HE invites us to join Him. God's desire for His children is not that we work for Him, but that we walk with Him. When we walk with the Lord in a humble submission and we love Him with a heart that longs for His glory, then the work of our hands become an expression of our faith in Him and our devotion to Him. That work then becomes a testimony that points others to the cross. The cross is where sinners find forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. When Christians decide in and of themselves to "work" for God, we miss the vital component that makes that work useful to the Lord - a heart and life that is totally and completely surrendered to the One who deserves all our honor, praise and worship. Man's work can be distracting from the Lord when that work in done without the direction and leadership of God.
That is exactly what the Lord has been teaching me over the past few months. Years ago, when we first moved here, the Lord revealed to me that one of my spiritual gifts was teaching. That teaching is in the form of writing, speaking and teaching ladies about the Word of God. God opened up the Monday Morning Devotion ministry eight years ago and HE has allowed this ministry to continue. But one ministry that the Lord did not allow to continue was writing Bible studies and speaking to ladies in group settings. You see, I realized that the Lord had gifted me in these areas and I thought that that meant that I was to jump right into that ministry and "work" for God. What I did not understand was that I was not ready to do those things. God was in the process of preparing me to serve Him with a pure heart, a heart that longed for His glory and not my recognition.
God graciously removed those opportunities so that I would be humbled before Him. HE gave me a teachable heart and HE began the painful, yet vital process of shaving away the strongholds in my life so that I would be able to serve Him with the sole purpose of pointing others to Him. Five years later, God has again presented the opportunity for me to write a Bible study and to teach ladies. This time, the timing is His and I had nothing to do with the calling, timing or the setting. I now understand that I am but a vessel for the Lord to display His glory, love and forgiveness. As I sit down to prepare each lesson, I surrender all of me to Him and I ask Him to write through me and teach me before I ever open my mouth to share His truth with others. My heart really is to honor Him and I praise Him daily for a second chance.
You see, through the Bible study that HE is writing through me, I am learning that what I do on earth matters. "Blessed is the man who endures temptations (trials, afflictions); for when he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12) The crown of life is not referring to our salvation but rather to the abundance of life.
"Christ Jesus promises us that HE will give us "the crown of life" if we endure the trials in our lives and remain faithful to Him. What is the "crown of life"? Turn to Revelation 2:10. The crown of life mentioned in this verse is the same as the crown of life mentioned in James 1:12. Crown #4735 - stephanos means "mark of royal or exalted rank". Jesus is promising us that we will be exalted for our endurance and our faithfulness here on earth. When we welcome God's work in our lives, even when that work includes affliction, we are blessed with eternal rewards. Rewards that our minds cannot even imagine. Think about the absolute best gift you could be given. Not even that gift compares to what blessings God has tailor-made for you! That is because Jesus Christ offers His children "life". Life in this verse means "absolute fullness."
What better blessing can a child of God receive than to know that we have lived our life in absolute fullness and we have completed the task the Lord God called us to complete when HE first thought of us. Before HE even formed us in our mother's womb and brought us forth in the exact time of His perfect plan. A plan that gave us an invitation to walk with Him, talk with Him, serve Him through absolute obedience and to shine as a testimony to His greatness. Are you dancing with joy yet?!?! I am about to come out of my chair!!! God is more amazing every time we spend time with Him. The more we seek Him, the more we know Him and the more we know Him the more we desire Him and the more we desire Him the more we long to be in His presence, no matter the cost!! Praise You, Jesus!! Thank you, Lord!!" (A Journey Through James, by Michelle Jones, p.26)
Read our focal passage once more. "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. HE must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:29-30) John the Baptist is a wonderful example of a child of God who understood his purpose in life. John the Baptist was called to "prepare the way" for Christ Jesus. He spent his life urging people to repent of their sin and turn their lives over to Christ. When the appointed time arrived for Christ Jesus to be identified, John had the privilege of doing so (John 1:6-2:34). Until Jesus Christ was identified, the crowds came to John to hear the Truth proclaimed and to be baptized. Once the Lord Jesus began preaching, teaching and baptizing, the crowds turned and followed Him.
"Scripture points out that John's disciples noticed and brought this to John's attention. "John's response mattered!! Now, human nature desires attention and we all want to be appreciated and recognized for our "work". In John's flesh, there may have been some heart issues, we don't know because Scripture does not tell us, but regardless of the potential temptations, John did not act upon them. John took this opportunity to point his disciple to Christ Jesus and remind them that their work was now to lead others to Christ and away from John. John understood that God gives and God takes away as it glorifies Him. John's ministry was not to glorify himself, but to prepare a way for the Lord. John acknowledged "…Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. HE must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)" (A Journey Through James, p. 35)
My Friend, may that be our heart's cry today and for as long as we breathe. God created us to glorify Him and when HE is glorified in our lives, we are blessed with eternal rewards that this world can never match. May each of our focus this year be to live a life that is totally surrendered to the Lord God and allow Him to do whatever necessary in our lives to fulfill our calling. HE is trustworthy, faithful and eternal. There is nothing we have to fear for God is Sovereign and HE loves us with a protective love. HE is molding, shaping and transforming His children into His image and our eternal salvation rests upon Him and His finished work on the cross. May we each see our lives as Christ sees our lives…We are but a vapor in this life. The "things" that we cling to are not going to last. May each of us fall before the Lord God and allow Him to give us a heart that longs for the eternal things of Him. May this year be a new beginning in our relationship with the One True Eternal God. "I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. HE has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion. HE has given food to those who fear Him; HE will ever be mindful of His covenant. HE has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations." (Psalm 111:1-6)
