Praying to be #2

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”

                                                                                                C.S. Lewis

  Do you ever pray difficult prayers? Most of us don’t. I know that I don’t pray them very often. I’m a bit cautious about praying for patience or humility. The answer to those prayers often include going through the “fire” to melt away dross in my life, but I don’t enjoy the heat. Yet I know that if I’m going to grow spiritually and have the fullness of life that my Heavenly Father desires for me to have, both must be part of my life.

  One of the most amazing statements that I believe was ever made in Scripture was by John the Baptist. It’s found in John 3:30, where speaking of Jesus, John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Now that’s a big prayer! It’s a bit like a sports team jumping up and down with two fingers screaming, “We’re #2! We’re #2! We’re #2!” Who wants to be #2? Can you imagine a coach, giving a pep talk at the beginning of the year, “Okay, this year…we’re going to be #2.”

  Yet, if we want God’s best, you and I must learn to sincerely pray: Lord, You increase in my life and let me decrease. It’s praying to be #2. It’s hard. It goes against our pride and selfish sin nature. It goes against everything we’re taught in our culture. Yet, though Jesus is our model, two virtues that aren’t valued even in the Church are selflessness and humility.

  If anyone easily could have fallen into the trap of pride, it would have been John the Baptist. Who else in human history (apart from Jesus) could claim to have been filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). No one else in all of human history had the important role of being the forerunner of the Messiah. John the Baptist enjoyed immediate popular success, as crowds from Jerusalem, Judea and the surrounding areas were going out to hear him in the wilderness to confess their sins and be baptized. Even the Lord Jesus testified of John that he was the greatest man in human history (Matt. 11:11). All these things could have fed the pride of this young prophet, just barely in his thirties. His announcement is astounding: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

  Recently, I found myself feeling irritated (sadly, that happens more than I want to admit). Yet, as the Spirit worked in my sinful heart, I recognized that it was a pride problem. I wasn’t being treated the way that I deserved to be treated. Pride, possibly more than any other sin, hurts our relationship with the Lord Jesus.

  Pride is the source of most of our unhappiness. If we’re honest with ourselves, which is hard because as Scripture warns us, our hearts are deceitful, (Jere. 17:9), pride is the source of much of our internal discomfort. What causes me to get irritated? I’m not being taken care of the way that I believe I should be. Impatience is the result of someone impeding my progress or getting in my way. Depression can be caused by pride as others don’t care or think about me as I think that they should.

  Pride is the source of most marital conflict. When was the last time that you had a fight with your spouse because you thought that they were being too kind or selfless toward us? No, we want our way. And if our spouse was really smart, they’d think, see the things and do things that we want. We get irritated because we’re not getting enough attention. Or our spouse is thoughtless because they’re not thinking of us.

  Pride is the source of most family conflict. Even in the most harmonious and loving family, jealousy lurks around the corner. Dad does more for you than me. Mom likes you better. Isn’t pride the cause of every fight to sit by the window? Unfortunately, childish jealousy doesn’t die in adulthood. Many siblings, even in their sunset years still squabble over the old battles from childhood. They never grew up and learned to set aside pride.

  Pride is the source of most church conflict. Naively, we often think of the early church as the ideal. It wasn’t. Personally, I wouldn’t have wanted to have been the pastor of the Corinthian church. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:11, “For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you.” It is very, very rare, as in almost never, for there to be a church conflict or problem over a doctrinal issue. Most are caused by a pride issue.

  Leslie Flynn penned a thought-provoking book, Great Church Fights. In it he chronicled the way people in churches would go after each other – all in the name of Jesus. He shares that one day a young father heard a commotion out in the backyard, looked outside and saw his daughter and several playmates in a heated quarrel. When he intervened, his daughter called back, “Dad, we’re just playing church!”

  Pride is arguably the most deadly and evil of all sins because it’s at the root of all other sins. Whenever I sin, I’m arrogantly asserting that I know better than God knows what’s best for me. As Christians, we must constantly battle pride and grow in humility. If you think you’ve attained any measure of humility, you need to be on guard against being proud of your humility!

  John the Baptist had the solution. The more that I think about Jesus and what pleases Him…how I can serve and honor Him, then the more of Christ’s peace that I will know.

  Please don’t misunderstand this. We’re not called to be Christian doormats. I’m not to think of myself less or little of myself. Rather, it’s being so absorbed and focused on the Lord Jesus, that I don’t think of myself at all.

  On one occasion, a group came to Philip, one of Jesus’ disciples and made this request: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21). That’s always what those around us need to see. It comes from praying and surrendering, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” Is Jesus increasing in your life?

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.