Online Reporter
Leslie Grow-Matters of Faith
The year 2025 is here.
Is it not that hard to believe? Time just keeps going…and going…and going…
Last week I heard a sermon about the small verse we find in John 3:
He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)
The context for this tiny, convicting verse is found in earlier verses, where we find John the Baptist explaining that he is not the Christ. John the Baptist made this declaration about his own ministry and it was written down for us to read in God’s Word.
The question from the sermon was simply: How will Christ increase in my life in 2025?
I have been thinking about this question ever since.
In looking up the Greek words, we can know that the translations are pretty straightforward—Increase: to augment or grow greater; Decrease: to make less or inferior.
The natural tendency for all of us is to increase ourselves. We want to grow stronger and better and have an easier life.
Our natural inclination is to worry about ourselves and how things are going to affect us.
It goes against all that is in us to NOT do this.
That is where Jesus Christ comes in. Truly. We cannot think of Christ first and foremost if we are mot saved. This is impossible.
But for those of us who are saved, it is still hard, is it not? At least it is for me. Our love for self does not disappear after we are saved and we continue to naturally be drawn to what is best for ourselves.
Loving ourselves looks so different for each one of us. Some of us are obvious about it. Others are not. Selfishness comes in all kinds of ways and it is a temptation for every single one of us; saved or unsaved.
The difference is that, as believers, we know this verse should be describing us, too. Christ should be increasing in our lives and we should be decreasing.
Let us think about a few changes or resolutions that people generally make for the new year—things like losing weight, drinking less alcohol, keeping to a budget, and others.
Why do people make these resolutions? We make them because we want to have a better life. It is mostly about ourselves and our experience here on earth.
And there is nothing wrong with improving ourselves. Losing weight is a good thing, having self-control when we spend money is a good thing, drinking less (or not at all) is a great thing.
My question for myself is: Is what God wants more important than what I want? Is what I want a biblical desire or is it a selfish desire? Why do I want what I want?
We never allow ourselves time to think anymore. We do not pray. We do not reflect.
How do we experience conviction on how the Lord wants us to grow and change if we never give ourselves time to think? How does Christ increase in our lives when we are only concerned with the here and now?
How do we be the believer that God wants us to be when our attention span is just a few short minutes long and then we lose concentration?
How do we learn to think if we cannot even give another person our attention but instead choose to watch a game on TV or look at our phones at a family gathering?
Mediating on God’s word and discussing the things of the Lord with like-minded believers… do we do this? These are the things that motivate us towards living a life where Christ increases and we decrease.
The things that would increase Christ in our lives and decrease ourselves are not things we want to give up.
They are wrapped about with our own strong desires and sometimes with deep sentiment and precious memories.
But when we are in the midst of something, we cannot imagine our lives without it. And so we just ignore the conviction that niggles in the back of our brains.
Listen, I am right with you in this. God has made me aware of some real weaknesses in my life that must change if He is to increase in my life.
We cannot do it alone. This is why our time in prayer and the word is so important. It is when we are convicted about something that God, through His Holy Spirit, gives us strength and paves the way to change.
He makes it possible. No amount of self-discipline will bring spiritual transformation.
It is just a bit like riding an electric bicycle: We need to pedal, but God is the motor. He is what makes peddling up that impossibly steep hill possible.
Thankfully, we are not required to change everything instantly. But, little by little, we take small steps towards looking more like Jesus.
As we head into 2025, I want to decrease and I want Christ to increase. Set aside time to pray and be in the word faithfully.
Take to reflect instead of always gravitating towards something to fill the mind; phones, tvs, people.-Grow4Life
