I made an interesting discovery yesterday while I was preparing another talk for our iCall evening in a couple of weeks. This evening seminar is an introduction to the iChange Seminars that I do with my friends Trish Warren and Andy Voth. I wanted to do a short talk about the verse that is often quoted as “He must increase and I must decrease” because it is often used an excuse by Christians to hold back and hide from who they are called to be.
The verse is John 3:30 and goes like this: “He must increase, but I must decrease. “ Fairly simple. And when taken just like that, as I've heard all my life, it sounds like some super spiritual comment on how there needs to be less of me and more of Him, which is another line I've heard quoted all my life. The things is, that last line – it's not in the Bible. And the other thing is, that whole line of thinking, it's based on a verse that has been taken totally out of context. Oh, yes, there's that word – context. Ever so important.
When you read the context of this verse, you will see that the one speaking these words is John the Baptist. He is saying to his followers, which were many, that he, John, must decrease, as in lessen in rank or following, and Jesus must increase in rank and following. He was telling his disciples that they needed to follow Jesus instead of him. The Jesus was here now, so they didn't need to keep following John. NOTHING! to do with shutting down parts of yourself or being smaller so that Jesus would be glorified in your life as its always been taught to me! It's not about being holier, or sinning less, or killing the flesh (whatever that means! How do you kill parts of you?).
Okay, some of your may be thinking, uh, what's the problem. Why would you need to be smaller to let God be bigger? But that's the point! That's exactly what I've been taught and have spent most of my life fighting with my very big personality in order to be good, to 'give glory to God'. Think about it. How many of you have bells going off if you were to say, “I'm great! Really great! God did a damn fine job when He made me!” Yeah, I thought so. “I can't say that! It's pride” Or you just see the lists start to role of all the things that you really don't like about yourself. Well, it's crap! No more of this “Less of me and more of Him” stuff.
I suggest a new way, not so new, but new to me. How about “All of me and as much of Him as I can take without being fired to a crisp.”
That's my new motto. Still working on how to actually live that, but it's sure feels good to get it out there. I'm constantly amazed at how those things that we are taught as a child, or even adults, we take on as truth, simply because it works with our belief systems, and not because they are actually truth.
So there you go. That's my perspective on John 3:30. Have fun with that. And be great!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
WooHoo!! You go girl!!
Funny thing is, this has been rolling around inside my head this week too.
Not the same quote, but a similar one.
"Die to Self".
I've decided I hate that, and I won't do it. Period.
I figure, God has been spending the last few years teaching me to care for me, to treat myself with kindness and friendship, to be fully ME. So I'm not going to die to anything.
What I WILL do however, is give Him permission to deal with whatever He wants to deal with in me...but I tend to always ask for some ongoing discussion about it.
You see, I'm so sick of thinking like a slave, that I'm going to opposite way now...and trying to find out how to be the adopted daughter of the King of kings. I think that there is a whole lot of unexplored territory there...and I'm gonna exlore all of it that I can.
Not so very submissive anymore, am I?
What Che said. ;) I loved your post, Kelly. I have ALWAYS hated the "less of me" crap but couldn't always put words to why. I think you and Che did a beautiful job explaining just why that's a load of bs.
Hi, I came here via Ché's blog. I'll have to go skim through your archives now.
I have to admit it took me a moment to accept this, purely because it was exactly what I was taught my whole life too.
Of course when I went and read it in context I realised you're absolutely right. Just when I think I've just about lost all of my religious trappings I find another one.
Isn't this journey crazy? And yet so exciting. I wouldn't change it for the world.
Hi Heidi & Heather,
thanks! While going over this talk with my team last night, they remarked on how much passion I have on this topic. Before doing this, I was kind of scared to actually research. I thought maybe I believed something that didn't really agree with the Bible and was not really sure where to stand.
I was so surprised when I looked stuff up. I feel like I'm yelling this call to freedom in the face of my religious past. Feels pretty good, too.
HI, I just stumbled across your blog and am enjoying it alot, I really appreciate this particular post - thanks for digging into this farse of a phrase.....I also want to comment briefly on che's comment, the "die to self" phrase we hear so much...actually we have essentially already died to our spiritual self on the cross with Jesus, the old is gone the new has come....so you are right, you don't have to die to yourself, God already made you a new creation in Him!!!! We are not such sorry pathetci saps, we are righteous saints and princesses of the King!!!
Thanks Lydia. Welcome here.
Post a Comment