Learning DAILY

 

John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John the Baptist

 

This past weekend Dr. Ed Newton, Pastor at Community Bible Church, asked an important question. “Who is leading you?”  I had to think back to working with Terri Flynn who was the Head Administrator at First Baptist Academy when I first started there.  She gave to each teacher a simple item to remind them of this very question.  It was a little wooden car with two wooden people in it; one represented Jesus and the other represented the teacher.  The car was a representation of each person’s life.  In giving the car to the teachers she would ask, “Who is driving your car?”

 

Before Jesus began His public ministry, the crowds were going to see what John the Baptist was all about.  The Pharisees even went to see what John was preaching; they wanted to know if he was the Messiah.  But John continued to say he was not the Messiah, that the One coming was more worthy than he.  When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John understood his time of preparing the way was complete.  David Jeremiah has written this, “Having fulfilled his role, John was content to see the crowds follow Jesus.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  In the Christian life, the first and overriding priority is not the preeminence of one’s position but the performance of one’s assignment – magnifying Christ (Colossians 1:18).  There is no room in the Christian community for pride in one’s popularity or personal accomplishments.”

 

That is what is behind the two questions asked above.  Who is leading you?  Who is driving your car?  Each of us might ask ourselves what the motivation is for what we are doing.  John’s purpose was to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus.  His task was completed and he did not strive to keep the crowds (his church members) in order to keep his position.  No, he had prepared the way and he knew it was necessary for the people to follow Jesus. 

 

It is difficult to step away from what has been important in one’s life.  But, when Jesus is leading, driving the car of your life, there is that time we must follow His direction.  The lyrics from the song by Zack Williams come into play here.  “Every time I try to make it on my own, every time I try to stand, I start to fall. And on all those lonely roads that I have traveled on – there was Jesus.”  Life is not always fun and games, but following Jesus, letting Him guide our life as He desires is so much better than living life without Him.

 

I still have the car Mrs. Flynn gave me and I have Jesus in the driver’s seat.  I would like to say that I keep Him there in my life.  I am afraid I try to take the steering wheel too often; those are the times I need to get in touch with my GPS (the Holy Spirit) to get me back on the narrow road.  What I have learned, as I try to communicate my thoughts this morning, is that fame, fortune, all of that stuff thought to be important is momentary.  Following Jesus, eternal life is forever.  It begins when one accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior.  It continues as one allows Him to be Lord in their life.  For that to happen, you must say with John, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” 

 

Thank you for the car, Mrs. Flynn.  Every time I see it I am reminded to check who is driving my life.

 

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