Goals: John

No one is perfect - so let’s start there.

However, scripture has many people who have things about them that I would like to emulate. John the Baptist is one of those people. Not the eating locusts part or the wearing camel fur but the posture of his heart. In John 1:27 John the Baptist says (about Jesus) “thought His ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be His slave and untie the straps of His sandal” (NLT but capitalization mine.)

I love that. Something about it resonates deeply with my heart.

It has been upon my heart lately how badly I don’t want to lift ANYTHING higher than I do Jesus. And there’s something about the recognition that in and of ourselves we are fully unworthy that maybe we need to rediscover. Or at least it’s a good reminder for me.

It seems as though we live in a world that screams “you’re worth it” or “you deserve this” … but really, apart from the grace of God… that’s just really not true. Of course, each person is made in God’s image and has inherent, intrinsic value. Of course, we are loved fully by God. But it’s not by any good merit of our own or of anything we could have earned.

I’m not advocating for self-deprecation or false humility or a lack of confidence (although, what our confidence ought to be based upon is another matter entirely and maybe a blog post for a different day.) What we (I) need to return to is a posture of our hearts that exalts Jesus so highly that in comparison… we become small. Rightly small.

in John 3:30 John the Baptist says it well when he says that “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.”

Here’s to decreasing. Here’s to laying ourselves down completely. Here’s to preaching the Gospel, dying, and being forgotten. Here’s to the surrender of pride, ego, power, preferences, and our own will.