Reading the book of John in a fresh translation (The Passion Translation-LOVING IT!), I got some fresh life from the testimony of John the Baptist. In Chapter 4, John’s disciples come to him reporting that Jesus is baptizing more people than John is now. (The NERVE of this guy!) They obviously expected John to be upset, but John’s response strikes me as profound.
You heard me tell you before that I am not the Messiah, but certainly I am the messenger sent ahead of him. He is the Bridegroom, and I the bride belongs to him. I am the friend of the Bridegroom who stands nearby and listens with great joy to the Bridegroom’s voice. And because of his words my joy is complete and overflows! (Verse 28-29, emphasis mine)
John was both secure in who he was and who he was not. Because of this, he could fully delight in the ministry and success of Jesus. Far too often, because we are not secure in how God has uniquely designed us, we look at others and out of insecurity feel jealousy rather than being able to delight in each others’ success. Let’s reject this kind of attitude! God lovingly created each one of us by hand with a perfect, intricate, and beautiful plan for our lives. (See Psalm 139) Let’s dig into His thoughts and dreams for who we are and choose to believe what He says. Out of that truth, we can kill the evil spirit of comparison that tries to strangle our God-intended relationships, and instead delight and encourage each other on to greatness!