Humility in position

The bible seems to indicate the John the Baptist was a person of significance and influence in the time leading up to Jesus' appearance on the public scene. Whether by title or just his influence, he was a leader. Then Jesus comes along and John gives us an incredible picture of humility.

I was reading the end of John 3 and saw something in a new light. John's disciples were concerned that people stopped following John and followed Jesus. Wouldn't you be concerned? You are an influential person in your field (a leader) and all of a sudden people leave you and start following someone else. Humiliating, don't you think? Wouldn't you be filled with self doubt that you weren't good enough or maybe feel bitterness or envy towards the person that "took" your followers away? I think I would. Well John's response (as you probably already know) is "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, ans is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less." What a lesson!

Who's capable of love?

So I went to two weddings this weekend. One of which I am confident that the couple has a solid relationship with the Lord and the other...not so much. It may have just been my perception, but what I observed was sad and it's something I've been noticing the past few years as I've gone to many, many weddings. I so look forward to Christian weddings! You can see love and 'pure' joy on the faces of everyone there, from the bride and groom to the random friends that are there. But at the weddings where you're pretty sure they are not Christians it just seems like a formality. Of course everyone is happy, but it's not the same kind of anticipation, joy, or excitement.

What I'm getting at is this, and this is a rather bold and possibly painful statement; those who do not know God don't really have the ability to love...I know, you think I'm out of my mind. You're saying, "Of course they love! People fall in love and get married." There are many outward acts that we would say are carried out because of love (in marriage and otherwise). For instance, commitment and compassion. I would argue that those things can be misconstrued as love. 1 John 4:7-8 says, "Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." This would seem to back up what I'm proposing. I've always known this verse, but I don't know that I've ever taken it seriously because, come on, all people love...don't they?