[26] And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!” [27] John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. [28] You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ — John 3:26 - 28 NKJV
John the Baptist was a very nobleman. He understood his calling, and executed it by God’s unction upon his life, without fear or spirit of competition. He was the cousin of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Yet, he didn’t allow his family affiliation with Jesus to get into the way he respected Jesus.
One day, Jesus showed up on River Jordan for John to baptise Him. As soon as John saw Jesus, he recognised that he was (and still is) the Messiah. So they chatted for a while and eventually got Jesus baptised.
A few months later, Jesus began doing more exploits than he did. And John’s disciples came to complain to him, saying that more people were going to Jesus than him. In other words, John’s ministry was dying while Jesus’ ministry was booming.
I thought John would be insecure with his answer. But he didn’t. He was so secure in his divine identity in God that he knew he must decrease for Jesus to increase. I wonder how many leaders can learn from this.
If you know God’s purpose for your life, you should be secure in your divine identity that you’ll not have time to check if others are doing better than you. You should never feel insecure about yourself because of what others are doing. Your race of faith in Christ is different from another person’s. People will come to you and say all sorts of things, comparing your life to your friends. In those moments, what will save you is your root in your divine identity.
In case you don’t know God’s assignment upon your life, go and ask Him. And if you get it, pursue it by the enablement of grace. You’ll not compete with anyone else.
You’re a blessing.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for giving me an identity in Christ. Help me to become so rooted in You that I’ll not have time to compare my life with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD – 2023 – 299