Today’s scripture: John 3:22-30 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Robin Herman):
He must increase, but I must decrease.
My Mom cracks me up. She loves lots of little sayings. From the time I was a toddler she would look at me and say things like, “Don’t bite off your nose to spite your face.” I would just look up at her in utter confusion and she would walk away thinking she had taught me some important lesson.
I, on the other hand, would think, “What idiot would bite off their own nose? How is that even possible?” And then I would try to figure out how my actions would lead her to believe that was what I was about to do. All in all I guess it worked, as I stopped whatever it was I was doing and she felt like she had taught me something.
“Six to one, half a dozen to another” was another one. From before I could even count. . .
When she started going to AA, her sayings changed to more a “God centered” theme. “If you worry, why pray, if you pray, why worry.” In the midst of a mid-life crisis — huge to me — I would call her up and she’d say, “Honey, just give it God.” Grrrrrr! The response I would dread the most, at the end of my tirade about some huge injustice, when I just wanted her on my side and I wanted her to be enraged with me, she’d say, “Pray for them honey, just pray about it.”
Turns out all those silly sayings have taught me the most important lessons in life. Sometimes I manage to get my big ol’ self out of the way and actually give things to God and sometimes, just sometimes, it’s even without instructions on what I expect God to do with this information.
It’s a process. . .
Thought for the day: He must increase, but I must decrease.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.
A message from Pastor Jeff for those who live far from our Church