He must increase, but I must decrease. —John 3:30
If you become a necessity to someone else’s life, you are out of God’s will. As a servant, your primary responsibility is to be a “friend of the bridegroom” (John 3:29). When you see a person who is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been used in the right direction. And when you begin to see that person in the middle of a difficult and painful struggle, don’t try to prevent it, but pray that his difficulty will grow even ten times stronger, until no power on earth or in hell could hold him away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we try to be amateur providences in someone’s life. We are indeed amateurs, coming in and actually preventing God’s will and saying, “This person should not have to experience this difficulty.” Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, our sympathy gets in the way. One day that person will say to us, “You are a thief; you stole my desire to follow Jesus, and because of you I lost sight of Him.”
Beware of rejoicing with someone over the wrong thing, but always look to rejoice over the right thing. “…the friend of the bridegroom…rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30). This was spoken with joy, not with sadness— at last they were to see the Bridegroom! And John said this was his joy. It represents a stepping aside, an absolute removal of the servant, never to be thought of again.
Listen intently with your entire being until you hear the Bridegroom’s voice in the life of another person. And never give any thought to what devastation, difficulties, or sickness it will bring. Just rejoice with godly excitement that His voice has been heard. You may often have to watch Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it (see Matthew 10:34).
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March 24 2015
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Lord, I really don’t get this devotional from Chambers today. I mean I understand what he is saying, but it doesn’t stand up for me against the two commandments given us by Jesus; love your Lord God with all your heart mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. And for me, I have never been very good (that is to day I’m not even close to a 100% the only standard for comparison) to understanding how You are working in another’s life.
And God says…”When you seek your intimate relationship with Me, before any decisions or actions that can impact others, you can trust the Holy Spirit to guide you. Stay within your discipline; surrender, seek connection with Me , then curiosity, obedience and expectation. If you search My word you will find example after example and scripture after scripture about reaching out and helping others. If you are ever in conflict about helping someone or not, err on the side of helping. And remember, helping is not enabling, or blind support, but you are called to love one another, and if you read 1 Corinthians 13, the guidelines of love are clear…….Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”
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