He must become GREATER!

 

I MUST BECOME less!

 

John 3:30

 

In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen retells a tale from ancient India: Four royal brothers decided each to master a special ability. Time went by, and the brothers met to reveal what they had learned. "I have mastered a science," said the first, "by which I can take but a bone of some creature and create the flesh that goes with it." "I," said the second, "know how to grow that creature's skin and hair if there is flesh on its bones." The third said, "I am able to create its limbs if I have the flesh, the skin, and the hair." "And I," concluded the fourth, "know how to give life to that creature if its form is complete." Thereupon the brother went into the jungle to find a bone so they could demonstrate their specialties. As fate would have it, the bone they found was a lion's. One added flesh to the bone, the second grew hide and hair, the third completed it with matching limbs, and the fourth gave the lion life. Shaking its mane, the ferocious beast arose and jumped on his creators, killed them all, and vanished contentedly into the jungle. What is the moral of the story? We too have the capacity to create what can devour us. Goals and dreams can consume us. Pride, possessions, and property can turn and destroy us unless we "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness."

 

Dr. Sigmund Freud, one of the most distinguished psychologists of the 20th century, though not well known for

spiritual insights, actually agreed with the Scripture when he said that one of the two primary driving forces in everyone is the desire to be great."Me-ism" is, because of the Fall, one of those characteristics everyone has to recognize and surrender to Christ. John the Baptist testified, "He must become greater; I must become less." A common trap all of us can fall into is to desire that people hear our opinions, see our point of view, notice our accomplishments, appreciate our achievements, admire our possessions, and do things our way. To have you

think this temptation has never penetrated my life would be to tell a lie. And I realize that when that temptation

comes, I must surrender it to Christ. "I must become less" means that my own agenda, wants, desires, plans, goals, intentions and aspirations must come under the control of the Holy Spirit if God will use me as a vessel in His

kingdom. Remember the argument that started among the disciples in which one asks, "Lord, which of us is greatest?"

Jesus' answer is "for he who is least among you all - he is greatest" (Luke 9:46-48). Becoming "less" does not mean we become nothing in God's eyes or in anyone else's. God counts every person special and unique and the object

of His unfailing love. But it does mean that in all things my will must be surrendered to His will. Thomas a' Kempis said, "He is truly great who deemeth himself small, and counteth all height of honor as nothing."