“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
While doing some chores last weekend, I was listening to Casting Crowns, and a song called “To Know You” came on. I’ve heard it before, but it has stayed with me through the week. I’ve seen the message played out in my life as I’ve prayed and interacted with people. If we truly desire to love like Jesus, we are going to talk to God for people not talk to other people about them. We are going to want the win not the challenge for them. We are going to show more mercy, grace, encouragement, and love, because that’s what Jesus did. We only know that by spending time with Him.
The following is a portion of the song, punctuation and capitalization added for easier reading.
“To know You is to never worry for my life, and to know You is to never give in or compromise. To know You is to want to tell the world about You ‘cause I can’t live without You.
To know You is to hear your voice when You are calling. To know You is to catch my brother when he is falling. To know You is to feel the pain of the broken-hearted ‘cause they can’t live without You.
More than my next breath, more than life or death, all reaching for, I live my life to know You more. I leave it all behind, You are all that satisfies. To know You is to want to know You more. To know You is to want to know You more.
To know You is to ache for more than ordinary. To know You is to look beyond the temporary. To know You is believing that You will be enough. ‘cause there is no life without You”
When my husband and I fell in love, I looked forward to every moment we would be together. I treasured all the things I learned about him, and I worked to learn all I could about him. (I still feel the same way! He is such a blessing to me.) We should feel the same way about our Savior Jesus. It might not start out as love at first sight, but Jesus is patient. His love is pure and patient. When we finally understand who He is, we should be floored by His amazing love, and grace, and mercy.
When we purpose to know Jesus better, we will purpose be more like Jesus. Our tempers won’t be quite so short, our patience extended. Our problem solving will look different as we take things to prayer, as a first priority rather than a last resort. We will realize our kingdom mission each day is sacred rather than merely just another day. We
will forgive because we have been forgiven. We will show grace because we have been shown grace. We will extend mercy because we have received mercy.
The person who claims to know Jesus, yet is angry, rude, impatient, unkind, unforgiving, or a gossip does nothing for the precious name of Jesus. We are wired to react in these ways, but the life that’s been transformed by a mindset of, “He must become greater, and I must become less” is the life that makes positive impacts for His kingdom.
God chooses to use broken, messy people to share His good news of love and redemption and hope. He could have done that many different ways. Let us not be poor witnesses for the beautiful work of Jesus. Let us purpose to know Him more. Truly and deeply. And let us be like Him.
“And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.” James 2:23