When you hear the phrase “less”, you always think it’s a bad thing, right? It could be less money in your paycheck, less sleep you got last night, less food, or whatever. It’s just, whenever we hear “less”, we think we are losing something and it’s a bad thing. What if I told you, maybe, it’s the exact opposite? I recently stumbled upon this verse that many of you may have heard or seen countless times, but it really stuck out to me because I’ve been struggling in understanding the importance of being less of myself and more like God.
The verse John 3:30 (NIV) states, “He must become greater; I must become less.” A small word yes, but a greatly important message in these few words, nevertheless. Let me explain.
To you and me, becoming less of who we are may seem mind-boggling right? But we must understand who we are at our very core: sinful people, with a flesh that seeks constant pleasure. Our flesh has this “ME, ME, ME” mindset and does anything to seek what we desire. This isn’t to say we’re all bad people, no, this is just signifying what our nature is at the end of the day.
Galatians 5:17 (NIV) touches on this perfectly: “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.” This verse explains that our human flesh desires to do the opposite of God. Our flesh is in conflict with the Spirit, and even when our hearts are trying to do right, whatever that may be, our flesh is constantly right there waiting to make you do something opposite and detrimental to that Godly objective. It’s a constant battle to put it simply – a battle we must endure and seek to overcome ’til we take our last breath. Fight the good fight.
If you dive into becoming less of yourself, and more like Jesus, you will see a better version of yourself in the end. Think about it. We, at times, don’t always want to help others. We are, at times, very selfish, rude, holding hatred or worse in our hearts toward individuals or ourselves. But Jesus is the exact opposite. Jesus, during His time on Earth, was known for being kind, loving, selfless, a helper to the masses, and for possessing fruits of the Spirit.
I write this to say we’ve all tried to be like this person or that person growing up, such as our parents, cool cousins, TV idols, older siblings, etc. But what about Jesus? Have you ever dreamed about or idolized Him?
At least you can see exactly who He is and how He lives. You can’t say that for many people, or anyone honestly, because we don’t know what happens behind closed doors or what goes on in their minds. But the Bible provides plenty of evidence of who and what Jesus was. So all I can say is choose wisely who you look up to and the person you’re becoming.
