Living on Mission and Remembering It’s His Work, His Way

Living on Mission and Remembering It’s His Work, His Way

John 3:22-26

I don’t know about you, but I prefer it when I get my way and things work the way I think they should. (Can I get an amen?)

Jesus and John the Baptist were both baptizing people. Lots of people were going to each of them to be baptized. John’s disciples didn’t think this was right. After all, Jesus began baptizing after John. Didn’t John deserve to be the big kahuna of baptism? Why did Jesus have to show up and start baptizing more people than John? John already said he’s not the Messiah, so can’t he just have this one thing all to himself?

Nope.

Truth is – Jesus could have sent someone else or even ten others to the same Judean countryside to baptize people. It was His work and He got to make the decisions. John’s disciples didn’t yet understand the work and the way it was done was all up to Jesus.

John had it right even though his disciples were not exactly on the same page. John knew that he was doing the work that was given to him to do. He wasn’t one bit worried about Jesus baptizing more people than he was baptizing. He seemed to understand that they were working toward the same purpose. He was happy to have Jesus take the spotlight. Later in the passage he says, “He must increase and I must decrease.”

This must also be our perspective. We can’t worry about what anyone else is doing; whether baptizing, or preaching, or serving. We all have a part to play, and we must remember that Jesus is the focus and He decides where we are assigned to work. He decides who does what and when.

Let’s practice Living on Mission and remember and even rejoice that when we do whatever we are assigned to do, it’s the work of Jesus and things will go as He has planned for our ultimate good and His glory.

Pastor Angela