Jesus Must Increase - I Must Decrease

Country singer Toby Keith summed up the day and age we are living in his song, “I Wanna Talk About Me.” The chorus lyrics say it all for most people:

“I wanna talk about me, I wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number 1 oh my, me, my,
What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see.
I like talkin about you, you, you, you usually, but occasionally
I wanna talk about me! (me, me, me,) I wanna talk about me-e-e. (me, me, me)

Now don’t get me wrong. I believe in a healthy self-esteem. For many years I struggled with inferiority until one day, it hit me right between the eyes. I was created in the image of God! Yes, sin had entered the world through the fall of Adam and Eve, but Jesus, the second Adam had redeemed me by His blood sacrifice and had restored my relationship with God. Being in His image with Him living in me – what better self esteem could I have than that?

But we are living in the days of 2 Timothy 3. These are “perilous times” where men love themselves in a conceited way. Take a look at this passage and see the degree of depravity that selfish man falls into as he exalts himself above all that is godly.

John the Baptist knew very well the answer to self absorption. In John chapter 3, a dispute had arisen between his disciples and the Jews regarding purification. Jesus, whom John baptized was now baptizing. People were flocking to Jesus instead of John. He simply told his disciples, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Paul said similarly in Philippians 3:8-9. “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (KJV)

Examine your heart today. Is your life all about you or are you allowing yourself to diminish so that God’s will takes priority in your life? If we will let self die, then Jesus will be lifted up in our lives, and men will see our good works and glorify God in heaven.

Like Paul in Galatians 2:20, let us declare, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”