The Beauty of Decrease: Finding Freedom in Humility

Freedom comes at a price. This Memorial Day weekend, we're reminded of the countless men and women who laid down their lives so we could experience liberty. Their sacrifice preserved the freedoms we often take for granted. Yet there's an even greater sacrifice that secured an even more profound freedom—the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
While we rightfully honor those who died on battlefields for earthly freedom, we must never forget the One who died on a cross for eternal freedom. The greatest sacrifice ever made wasn't in war, but at Calvary. And this truth should awaken in us a deeper gratitude than we've ever known.

Time: The Currency of Relationship
After Jesus's profound conversation with Nicodemus—where He revealed that God's plan wasn't simply to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive—we find a seemingly simple verse in John 3:22: "After this, Jesus and His disciples went out into the Judean countryside where He spent some time with them and baptized."
It's easy to skip past this transitional sentence, but hidden within it is a powerful truth about discipleship: Jesus spent time with His disciples.
These men who would eventually die terrible deaths for their faith (all except John) didn't make that commitment because of one inspiring sermon. They were willing to go to the greatest lengths because they spent time with Jesus. Time—the ultimate expression of love.
Jesus took His disciples away from the crowds, into the countryside, to simply be with them. This is how relationships flourish. This is how faith deepens.
The question confronts us directly: Do we spend time with Jesus? Do we get away with Him? Or is our relationship with God reduced to thirty-second prayers before meals and bedtime—the spiritual equivalent of a third-grade romance?
What God offers in Christ is more than religion; it's relationship. And relationship requires time. For us to become devoted disciples, for us to experience the beauty and fruit of walking with Jesus, we must invest time in His Word, in prayer, and in intentional communion with Him.

The Comparison Trap
While Jesus was baptizing with His disciples, John the Baptist was also baptizing at another location. An argument developed between John's disciples and others over ceremonial washing. Soon, John's disciples came to him with a complaint: "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
Sound familiar?
Spiritual arguments often begin with secondary issues. This wasn't about essential doctrine; it was about method, about numbers, about who was getting more attention. John's disciples found themselves in a dangerous place: the comparison trap.
They were living horizontally instead of vertically—looking around at what others had rather than looking up at what God had given them. And isn't this our constant temptation?
We scroll through social media and see someone hiking a mountain with a monkey on their shoulder while we're in bed with Ben & Jerry's watching Netflix. We compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel. Nobody posts the fight in the car, the delayed flight, or when the monkey stole their wallet. They post the perfect moment.
Statistics confirm that the more we engage with social media, the more depressed and unhappy we become. Why? Because comparison is the thief of joy.
But comparison is more than just a joy-killer. At its heart, comparison is the belief that God got it wrong—that somehow the God who spoke the universe into existence, who holds us in the palm of His hand, who controls everything, somehow messed up. That we deserve more or less than what He's given us.
Comparison travels down two dangerous roads: pride ("that should be me") and condemnation ("why can't it be me?"). Both are spiritually destructive.
A Framework for Humility
John the Baptist's response to his complaining disciples gives us a powerful framework for humility—something we all desperately need.

1. A Right View of God
"A person can receive only what is given them from heaven," John replied.
The first step in humility is understanding that God is in control of everything. If you have it, God gave it to you. If you don't have it, God didn't give it to you. Every good and perfect gift comes from above.
This means living with open hands. When God gives us something, we hold it loosely, ready to use it for His purposes. We're not owners of anything—we're stewards.
What does this look like practically?
In giving: God has given me everything, so I will joyfully give Him back a portion.
In service: God has given me gifts, and I need to leverage those gifts to build up the body of Christ.
In prayer: God has given me everything I need today to flourish, and I thank Him for that.
In Scripture: God has given me wisdom and direction for this life, and I need to follow His will.
God is always in control. We can trust Him completely.

2. A Right View of Others
John continued: "The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete."
John compared himself to the best man at a wedding—the hype man, the third wheel. Christ came for His bride, the church, and John was simply helping others see the glory of Jesus.
And notice what this produced in John's life: fullness of joy.
Do you want to experience complete joy? Help others see Jesus. There is no greater joy than leading someone to Christ, than pointing a friend or family member toward the Savior.
The question confronts us: Are you pointing to Jesus or pointing to yourself?
The point of worship is Jesus. The point of Bible study is Jesus. The point of small groups is Jesus. The point of everything we do is Jesus.

3. A Right View of Self
Then John delivered the greatest thesis of humility: "He must become greater; I must become less."
This is counterintuitive. We naturally think, "I want more of God and more of me." But John says no—God must be magnified and the flesh must be crushed.
Andrew Murray wrote, "Pride must die in you or nothing of heaven can live in you."
John the Baptist could have built his platform higher. He could have become the biggest celebrity in Judea. But instead, he leveraged his influence to help others follow Jesus.
The question for us: Are you leveraging your influence to help others find Jesus? Who's the closest person to you but the farthest from God? Are you using what God has given you to point them toward Him?
Jesus Is Above All
John concluded his teaching by reminding his disciples that Jesus came from above and is above all. When we face the "what now?" moments of life—the job loss, the breakup, the diagnosis, the heartache—we must remember that Christ is above all.
He's not surprised by anything. He's in control.
And here's the beautiful truth: God gives the Spirit without limit. If we're lacking in sensing the Holy Spirit's presence, it's not because God didn't give Him to us. At salvation, we're sealed with the Holy Spirit. If we aren't sensing Him, it's because we've been pushing Him out.
God wants to empower us, but will we let Him?

The Better Way
"The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them."
In essence, John's entire message was this: Jesus is better.
The world tries to tempt us to believe otherwise, but Jesus is better. The way of Jesus is better. The eternal life He offers is better than the wrath of God. What Jesus offers is better purpose, better meaning, better life.
But it requires taking the spotlight off ourselves and placing it on God. It requires walking in humility and trusting that God is good.
Today, will you decrease so He can increase? Will you live with open hands, trusting that God is in control? Will you leverage your influence to point others to Jesus?
The freedom Christ offers is waiting. And it's better than anything this world could ever provide.