"He must become greater; I must become less."
John 3:30, NIV
I lead a small group of high schoolers, as you know from many things I've written, and they all receive an "I Am Second" bracelet each year. I ask them to wear it, and display the #Truth that Christ is first everywhere they go. Last year's young men received an extra gift, an I Am Second New Testament Bible, which I know they carry with them everywhere they go. This year, I have all seniors... five seniors... I'm not quite sure what to do for them yet, but I know one thing is certain: I will ensure that they leave high school placing Christ before themselves.
The verse above is a champion verse for me, and one that I repeat frequently. I love the Gospel of John (actually teaching from it all year this year with my small group), and I think there is no better example of the intent to remain a follower of Christ than that of John the Baptist. He cried out to all he met that another One would be coming, One who is greater, One whose sandals he was not fit to lace. He met Christ, and was humbled immediately, asking to remain in the second position. Of course, Christ asked John to perform the greatest water baptism in history, and I believe that John was chosen for this specifically because of his extreme humility and willingness to remain in a position that always places Christ first.
More than that, though, as Christ is One with the Father, this position also puts God's will first, meaning that we would always follow the example of Matthew 6:33 in seeking first the will of God, and THEN things will be added unto us. John, Jesus' cousin, was constantly reminding people that the Messiah was coming, and John was, as DC Talk so eloquently labeled him, truly the first #JesusFreak on earth. His faith and passion for the things of the Father were so powerful that he didn't need anything else to sustain his spirit... because he, John the Baptist, remained second.
So many people in our world today are seeking out things to sustain their happiness, but John knew true, Biblical joy! Just like Paul, nothing could dampen the spirit, and nothing could stop the radiating peace that flowed out from the love of God in their lives. Folks today, though, are so caught up in "feeling good" and "having fun," they tend to try things they shouldn't to enhance physical pleasures and satiate desires. In that moment, as we've been studying through the Seven Deadly Sins, anyone in that position making that decision falls into pride, lust, greed, and envy. It can also follow that they end up in gluttony, seeking more of the "high," wherever it comes from. Sloth also exists, as they are too lazy to get out of the pit. And finally, wrath will come, because of the self-loathing and deprecation that follows knowing that any given repetitive action or thought is wrong, according to the Word of God. So much pain, and all from chasing the fleeting ridiculousness of "being happy," and the real truth of it is that the offender here has removed the proper first position Person, and they have assumed the first position themselves.
Here's one that will sting, but it is the absolute truth: no human being has the right to be in the First position... period.
I have found added peace in reading through the literature from I Am Second, and I know that if you struggle with anything at all (and you do, by the way, whether you admit it or not), you, too, will find the same peace in placing yourself behind and beneath the One who died for you. Think about that for a second... He stood in the way and went to the Cross for you; He intercedes for you; He created you; He conquered hell and death and damnation for you. If you are capable of fitting that bill, then I guess you can be first. (But none of us are capable, and none of us get to be first.)
Go sign up to follow, like the page, get regular email updates, and enahnce your small group with this amazing organization. And remember, always and everywhere, Christ comes first... and I am second.
God bless you all!!!
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