Today’s Devotion
Topic: Unhealthy Competitions Crippling The Church! (Self Assessment)
Background: The body of Christ is been divided into several denominations based on doctrine and creed. Even within the same denominations, we still find great disparities which, instead of making us unique through diversity, rather divide us further till the course of Christ is heavily affected.
Today, we discuss a simple passage that proves that though we may be doing similar things for God, His divine purpose for each of us, together with the unique giftings He gives, makes each work different yet a complement to the other so much that if we all accepted and worked as such, the body of Christ would be stronger and united than has ever been.
Kindly come along, let us delve deeper into the Holy Scriptures regarding this subject and discuss.
Text: John 3: 22- 30
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24 (This was before John was put in prison.) 25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.
26 They came to John and said to him, “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.” 27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’
29 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. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.” Amen
Questions:
- Kindly read verses 22- 24 again. Do you think Jesus, specifically went to the region John was baptizing, doing the same thing John was doing in a bid to compete with Him? If yes, kindly explain your answer. If no, kindly suggest, with the help of other scriptures, why you think Jesus went working the same area John was?
- Kindly read verse 26 again. Why do you think John’s disciples, in telling him that the Jesus he testified about was baptizing too, quickly added “AND EVERYONE IS GOING TO HIM” What were they trying to suggest?
- John replied them in verse 27 by saying, ” A person can receive only what is given them from above.” Please explain in your own words why you agree with John. Also share with us how you think this answer should help our understanding of God’s work. Especially when we find ourselves competing with or disregarding others, simply because we feel insecured or better than them respectively.
- Verse 28 proves that John was so focused on his own assignment and wouldn’t let that of another make him either insecure or unsure in anyway. What can we learn from this? More especially when circumstances or others begin to make us feel we are not competing harder enough with the other believer doing “better” than we are?
- Verse 29 also proved that John was happy for Jesus’ ministry to flourish. Why is this so lacking among our churches today? What factors contribute to the expressions of jealousy and envy we show and see around when God is using others too? Why is it so hard to be joyful at what God is doing with another?
- John knows both He and Jesus are working for the same God’s purpose. He understands that his assignment differs from that of Jesus. He also identifies that Jesus’s mission is greater than His. All these made it very easy for him to say in verse 30, HE MUST BECOME GREATER; I MUST BECOME LESS. What do we learn from this?
- In what practical ways can a believer allow God to increase in his/her life while they decrease?
- What have you learnt from today’s discussion?
Kindly reply us on this same social media platform (WhatsApp/ Facebook). We learn a great deal from the answers you provide.
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