ESV: He must increase, but I must decrease.
NIV: He must become greater; I must become less.
NLT: He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
John 3:30
I’ve struggled with my ego my whole life. As a kid I felt unseen, like I didn’t matter. But I also knew that for His glory, not miI was smart and had things to say. So I sought out validation any chance I got. I would take every opportunity that presented itself to be seen as intelligent and mature.
This only escalated as I got older. I became arrogant and rude. While I wasn’t disrespectful to anyone directly, I was the first to insult their intelligence behind their back.
I Thought I Knew Better
I also thought I knew better than God. If only He would do things the way I wanted Him to, life would be so much easier! The bad people would be gone, the good people would all be here together and things would be perfect.
I’ve had a calling on my life since I was very young. My mom was told over and over again that I would be speaking the word of God, that I would be a leader doing great things for Him. But Satan knew exactly how to pervert the calling.
My words were powerful but I spoke death over life. I was smart but I spewed anger and hate. I had so much to say but I was so arrogant that no one wanted to hear me.
Every chance I got I made God smaller in my life so I could make myself feel bigger.
I had it completely backwards.
John the Baptist had been preaching God’s message for years. He’d been making a way for the Messiah to come and rescue them. He has worked hard and followed God’s orders. If anyone had the right to pat himself on the back, it would be John the Baptist (referred to as JB from here on out so he isn’t confused with the author of John).
John 3:26 says that “they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness – look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”” (ESV)
There had been a discussion (mentioned in verse 35 over ‘purification) and they came over to JB to get his reaction to it.
Isn’t this just like us humans?
I swear we make Satan’s job real easy sometimes. JB had been preaching Jesus’ message as far and wide as He could go, consistently saying that He is NOT the Christ and shouldn’t be treated as such. However these people want to come over and be like “more people are following after Jesus instead of you!” expecting JB to be like “oh no! Absolutely not! I absolutely don’t want the man that I’ve been telling everyone to follow to actually gain the people that I’ve been speaking to! It’s ON like Donkey Kong!”
Y’all.
We have the ability to read this and roll our eyes, seeing their arrogance. We see how ridiculous they’re being trying to get under JB’s skin like that.
But how often do we do this in our lives? I know I’ve done it. God has to check my heart and soul on a daily basis, reminding me that this is HIS plan and not mine.
God called me to share His message a looooooong time ago. I ran from that calling for a long time and I did a podcast episode sharing my full story here. But I finally got my act together in early 2024 and started using Instagram and TikTok to do what God had called me to do. As a former social media manager, I know how to grow an audience on social media. I know how to reach more people with His message and that’s a fantastic skill to have and I’m so grateful that God is allowing me to use it in this way.
Ego Gets in the Way
But then my ego steps in and I get way too focused on seeing my follower count grow. Every time I see a comment telling me that the content helped them I get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside that I was able to do that, that people like ME. Thank God for all of His sovereignty because He puts me in my place SO DANG FAST.
Yes, I get to be the catalyst to share His word. But it is for His glory, not mine. I’m grateful that I get to do what I love creating content while also doing my part to grow His kingdom. I’m so honored that I get to geek out about the Bible and learn what it means but it is not to brag on my own knowledge, it is to share that knowledge with others.
In John 3:30, JB says “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
His following must continue to decrease in size if Jesus’ is to grow. If JB’s audience continues to grow and Jesus’ doesn’t, then he’s gotten it wrong. JB is excited that people are finally on the Jesus train and are listening to what He says.
This is what the enemy is going to do. He will try to get you to focus on your glory over God’s. He’s going to remind you of all of the work you’ve done and how you deserve to feel some type of way about it. He will pull you away from the Lord to get stuck inside of your own head.
Arrogance
This arrogance can also show up when you refuse to do something that God has called you to do out of feeling not good enough. When you put your faith in your own power instead of God’s, you’re not decreasing, He is. When God says to do something, we are to do it for His glory knowing that He’s given us everything that we need in order to do it. Doubting that is doubting His ability.
Us decreasing makes room for Him to grow and be seen.
Yes, God cares about the little things. Yes, God wants us to be happy. And yes, God will give us the desires of our heart.
But if we don’t do it with the right priorities, then we’ve got it all wrong. If we’re not doing it with the right heart, then we shouldn’t be doing it at all.
I don’t pretend like this is easy. I already told you how God has to check my ego on a regular basis, at least daily if not hourly. Some days it feels like a minute-by-minute situation.
We are to learn from JB’s example. We need to decrease so He can increase.
If your heart is crying out, “He must increase, I must decrease,” you’re in the right place.
My Free Prayer Journal is designed to help you reflect, release control, and center your life around Christ through honest, Scripture-led prayer.
Download it here and start creating space for Him to grow greater in you.
