He Must Become Greater; I Must Become Less

"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30

How many of us want to become less? Pick me! I wish I weighed and looked a whole lot LESS! What's the key? John knew. He said it when he noted that Jesus must become greater. When there is more of God in our lives, there is less of us, including less of our human nature that leads us into temptation and sin.

More importantly, John understood that we need to glorify God. It isn't about us. There are many instances in the Bible where someone didn't give credit to God and was immediately struck by Him. The first instance I remember was Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. He was proud and said in verse 30, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" He no more than spoke the words and a voice from heaven told him that his royal authority had been stripped from him - for seven years his sanity was taken and he lived like a wild animal outside. Picking up in verse 34:

 ³⁴ At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

   His dominion is an eternal dominion;
   his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
³⁵ All the peoples of the earth
   are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
   with the powers of heaven
   and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
   or say to him: “What have you done?”

 ³⁶ At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

The next time I saw a similar situation was in Acts 12:23 "Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died." 

The Bible is clear that we are to give God the glory in all circumstances, humbling ourselves and recognizing that He alone is the giver of all good things. Luke 17:10 tells us "So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

I believe that God created us to praise and glorify Him. If we can use our past sin and current obedience for His holy Name, then should do so. We need to make sure that we aren't congratulating ourselves on a job well done but rather focusing on God and His glory. Our weight loss journey isn't about gym memberships, workouts, diets, or even really weight or looks. We need to get into the mindset that God alone is to be glorified through our bodies. If we can grasp this concept, I think we can lay hold of the mighty power that He offers through His Son in forgiving our sin and allowing us to start over. As I look at my body and wish it were better, I often think "If only I could start over and knowing what I know now make better choices from birth - if only I could be born again!" Friends, we can be born again! And I believe that God can give us a fresh body if we allow Him to. Only He can do it, so only He can get the credit. Let's pray!

Father God, thank You for the work of the cross. May we never forget the cost to you of our salvation. We confess that we have sinned and fallen short of Your glory. We ask that You forgive us and give us fresh, new bodies along with a fresh, new start. When we do all that You've commanded, may we say with a true heart, "We only did our duty as unworthy servants." Lord, we are humbly asking for LESS of us! I want to be a whole lot less! In the place of me (and my fat) may there be more of You. Please become greater in my life! I love you, Lord Jesus. Have Your way and be glorified in me today. I ask You to make me healthy and thin for your glory. In Jesus' Name, AMEN!