Becoming Less

I am a little over 6 feet tall, and yet there have been more than a few times in my life where I have felt considerably small. For instance, last week in Colorado, standing at the base of Mount Princeton gazing up at it's snowy peak, I felt tiny. Or this past Tuesday, driving by the new Cowboy's stadium in Arlington, I felt like a shrimp.

I've got a hunch though that none of these compare to how small John the Baptist felt as he stood next to the Son of God in the murky waters of the Jordan. John, a true man’s man, a guy’s guy, had to have felt like a spec of nothing as he dipped Jesus into the current and saw the Spirit descending on the much-anticipated Messiah. Later, when asked to compare his ministry with Jesus', John responds in an interesting way. When we speaks of Jesus, he simply says, “He must become greater; I must become less.”

As I consider my ministry to this broken world, these words must be taken to heart. Like John, I too need to become less. Less selfish and more concerned about the hurting and abandoned around me. Less self-reliant and more dependent on Christ and in tune with his ways. Lord, bless us all as we seek to become less.

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Dinner Lesson

Awhile back, Emily and I were invited to eat dinner with a student at his favorite restaurant. Throughout the meal, several of the wait staff and managers came up to our table to say hi and chat with this young man. You know that old theme song from Cheers, “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name?” Well in this case they actually did—and it was obvious he had formed some neat relationships with an entire restaurant just by showing up there to eat every Wednesday night.

What made the whole experience extra special is that I got to witness one of our young men bring the light of Christ into that restaurant. And all it took was a warm smile and kind spirit, week after week. This had become a part of his rhythm of life.

There's a lot of talk in Christian circles these days about the concept of missioinal living. How humbling and yet refreshing to see it exemplified in a 12-year-old.

So I ask myself, am I carrying the love of Christ into my daily circles of life. Do the people who cut my hair, sell me groceries, change my oil, serve me food, see Christ in me? Lord, thank you for blessing my life with students who teach me how to live more like Jesus.
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