He Must Become Greater

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. John 3:30

WE’RE PARENTING in the age of the selfie, an age in which we’re constantly grooming our online image to make ourselves appear more beautiful, more interesting, and more connected than we really are. Through social media we say daily to the world around us, “Look at my face! I’m here! I’m important! I matter!” We’re constantly seeking a place for ourselves in the spotlight —wanting as much recognition as we can get for who we are, who we know, and what we’ve accomplished.

John the Baptist knew what it was to be in the limelight. Lines of people waited to be baptized by him; his disciples hung on his every word. But when Jesus stepped onto the scene and John recognized him as the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament had been promising, John settled happily into the background. That “voice crying in the wilderness” began to proclaim that Jesus had to be put forward and followed, while John had to fade further into the background —into Jesus’ shadow.

Surely we go against the tide when we resist constantly reshaping our image and searching for recognition and when we help our children recognize their desires for applause and adulation. Yes, we want our kids to have a sense of their worth because they’re made in the image of God. Yes, we want them to experience the joy of accomplishment, and we want to encourage them with our affirmation. But we want something much more for them than simply chasing after the world’s ever-elusive adulation and attention. We want them to be so mesmerized by Jesus that the genuine desire of their lives becomes to use every opportunity available to make much of him, and thereby less of themselves.

Lord, help us to love your glory more than our own. Give us the wisdom we need as parents to know when to affirm and celebrate ________ and when to point out pride and self-centeredness. Increasingly, as people look in our direction, may they see that Jesus is all-important, all-sufficient, altogether worthy of worship.