John 3:30-36 "Keeping Jesus First"

He must become more important while I become less important.  He who comes from above is greater than all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly matters, but he who comes from heaven is above all. He tells what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message. But whoever accepts his message confirms by this that God is truthful. The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.

John (the Baptizer) got something right that we sometimes struggle with: our ministries (whatever they are, wherever they are, and however important they are) are secondary to Jesus.  When we write it down and look at the statement, it seems obvious.  It's less obvious, though, in real life practice.

We so easily get caught up in the day to day details of whatever we are doing, that we fail to keep the main thing the main thing.  It is not difficult for any of us, especially those of us in full time ministry, to let what we do take precedence over why we do it.  It's easy to forget that it really is all about Jesus.  Everything we do -even the good things -even the wonderful things -even the meaningful and fulfilling things, mean nothing at all apart from Christ.

Even in Christian circles, we spend so much time arguing.  We argue politics and church tradition and denominational theology -it seems that most of us feel a keen need to be right about everything all of the time.  All the while, the lost are still perishing.  What the world needs to know way before doctrine and theological correctness even begin to matter is the basic truth that God loves us and sent His Son to save us.  The words and actions and teachings and example of Jesus must remain the primary teachings upon which we base our lives and ministries because He who comes from above is greater than all.  And, The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit.  And, The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power.  And, Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.

A lot depends upon our best thinking being secondary to Christ's thinking, and our our day to day ministry being secondary to the reality of His redeeming grace.  We must always be in the process of allowing Him to increase as we decrease.