November 10
Honey, I Shrunk My Religion
They came to John [the Baptist] and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less ––John 3:26-30
It is impossible at the same time to give the impression both that I am a great Christian and that Jesus Christ is a great Master. So the Christian will practice curling up small, as it were, so that in and through him or her the Savior may show himself great. —J.I. Packer
There’s a counter-argument to Packer’s quote above that goes like this, “If God is great, and I am His most beloved creation, don’t I glorify Him more by being ‘large’ in my faith?” I’d respond this way, because I agree with Packer: God is already great with or without us; however, when we decrease He is able to reveal Himself more greatly as we get out of the way. It’s like being in a stadium watching a football game: if someone is standing in front of you, it’s hard to see the play on the field. Similarly, if we “sit down” (in terms of our ego) we allow those around us to see Jesus more fully.
By shrinking ourselves in order to better reveal Christ, we are NOT forfeiting our freedom or agency in this world. Just the opposite, and here’s why:
- Spiritual shrinking – We let go of self-importance and recognize our citizenship in His Kingdom is based on His grace, not our efforts.
- Downward growth – As we age—chronologically and spiritually—our goal is to develop a deeper, quieter humility.
- Christ magnified – As our ego decreases and we gauge our worth less and less on material or transactional things, Christ operates more effectively and efficiently through us.
So how can God’s man rise up into His place as a servant leader by going low all the time? The answer is in the question: servanthood. That sounds so noble and attractive, doesn’t it? But placing others before ourselves is anything but easy. Oftentimes it means forgoing our own wants or desires for those of others; or giving up our time, talent, and treasure with little or no tangible “pay-off.” It might mean getting up at 6am on a Saturday to work on a food drive for the homeless, or skipping the game on Monday night to help an elderly couple transitioning to assisted living.
That’s where the flesh gets us, doesn’t it? Don’t feel guilty if reading the last paragraph made you a bit uncomfortable. Instead, lean into that discomfort and ask the Lord, “What areas of my life do I need to continue to surrender so I can decrease and You can increase?” Also, servanthood doesn’t mean misery! In other words, use your gifts and talents in your service toward others. If you are a carpenter, repair someone’s fence or kitchen cabinets. If you are an accountant, help a struggling single parent create a workable budget. If you are a coach or teacher, volunteer with youth or troubled teens. Servanthood doesn’t have to be drudgery.
Man of God, you will be absolutely blown away when you invite God to grow larger in your life and deliberately ask Him to “shrink you.” When you do, your world will blow up in a good way.
Father, thank You that when I am weak, You are strong; that when I surrender, I become a spiritual contender for Your truth.