What Do You See First?
God has been convicting me this year with this question: What is the first thing people see about me? Is it my smile or eyes? Is it the clothes I wear or the way I look? Those are often the first things I think about when I’m around other people. But am I missing the most important characteristic as a Christian; do they immediately see Christ in me?
This idea was again brought to my attention and tugged at my heart when it was brought up in one of my college Bible classes. I’m sure we’ve all heard of the verse “He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:30). If I were to guess, it probably has been in your Instagram bio or hung on your wall at some point, because it certainly has for me. However, scripture not considered in context can be more harmful than good. It may sound nice and applicable to our lives, but we need to slow down, back up, and actually evaluate what the verse is saying inside its context in the Bible. We need to remember that context is key. This verse is a perfect example. My Bible professor explained this verse perfectly and I would love to take the time to try to articulate what he said. To start, we first need to look at the context surrounding this verse.
John 3:25-30, “Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification. And 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.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (ESV)
This section of scripture is about John the Baptist and his ministry in paving the way for Jesus the Messiah. John was the forerunner to Jesus and has been preaching the same message Jesus would. Therefore, John needed to make it clear that he had never claimed to be the Christ but that he was simply announcing the arrival of the Christ. With this statement, John acknowledges that it was by design that Jesus should become more prominent and that John’s own ministry should become less prominent.
John saw himself as the friend of the bridegroom. The bride represents the church in this passage and the bridegroom is Jesus. The friend of the bridegroom’s role is to present the bride to the groom, and then step back; take himself out of the focus. John had made a way and presented Jesus, exactly what the bridegroom is supposed to do, and then understood it was time for him to back away. This is where the key verse “He must increase, I must decrease” comes from and I never fully understood that until now (hint hint, why context is key!) So this takes me back to my first point; what is it that people first notice in you?
Our goal as believers is to attract attention to Christ, not ourselves. People should remember the truth you teach them, not you. We are merely the tools God uses to produce His work. If we strive to live by this, then hopefully the first thing people will notice about us is not our hair or clothes or the way we look, but our hearts for God and His gospel. My professor ended class with this simple yet powerful phrase: Lie low, exalt Christ. Let’s all live by that.
