Read John 3:30: "He must become greater; I must become less."
I absolutely love these 8 words from John the Baptist found in the book of John. What humility this man had! When you think about it, John the Baptist was a pretty important person and had a lot to brag about. First of all, John's birth was miraculous. He was born to an elderly barren woman, and an angel announced his future birth to his father (much like the announcement given to Mary concerning Jesus' birth). The angel said that John "would be great in the sight of the Lord," that he would be "filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb, "and that he would "turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God" (Luke 1:15-16). I'd say that he was a pretty significant person, wouldn't you?
In addition to this, John the Baptist was the one who would fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3, which says, "A voice is calling, Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God." John was the one chosen by God to prepare the way for the Messiah's coming. He also was the one selected by the Father to baptize Jesus Christ. What an honor!
However, despite all of these honors bestowed on John, he didn't become arrogant. He lived in the desert, wore clothes made of camel's hair, and ate locusts and wild honey. He certainly wasn't stuck up! John continually pointed to God and took the focus off of himself. You can see this clearly in his words in Matthew 3:11, "I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals." When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John was stunned and insisted that he needed to be baptized by Jesus, not the other way around!
That simple phrase, "He must become greater, and I must become less," characterized the life and ministry of John the Baptist. Though he certainly could have become puffed up with a sense of superiority, he remained humble and gave all the glory to God. I think this is why God chose John for this amazing task.
In high school, you don't see much humility. People are focused on themselves. I want to encourage you to break free from the narcissism that plagues your generation and instead put the focus on Christ. Make it your aim to give Him the glory in everything you do. Pray that God will reveal to you any areas of pride that you may have in your life and that He would give you a humble heart to serve Him with.
