🙌It's the Friday Call to Worship!🙌

A certain worship song spurs me to write the call to worship on some weeks. On other weeks, a passage of Scripture, a conversation or current events inspire me to write. This week, I listened to a song on repeat. I knew I’d write about it, but I didn’t know what I’d write or why.

The song title, “Less of Me” reminded me of a conversation John the Baptist had with his disciples after Jesus started baptizing. John’s faithful followers were becoming indignant that Jesus was a rising, baptizing public figure. John, however, was overjoyed the Messiah had been revealed. John was born to prepare the way for his cousin, Jesus. His purpose, though markedly inglorious, was being fulfilled. John encouraged his disciples, “…Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:29-30) The prophet Isaiah spoke of John the Baptist’s ministry 700 years before it began. He would “prepare the way”. (Read Isaiah 40:3-5)

You and I no longer need prophets to know what’s coming or to find our purpose. As believers, we have the ever-present gift of the Holy Spirit living and active within us. The way has not only been prepared, but our redemption has been paid for. Our citizenship to heaven is fully available at all times.

As Christ-bearers, we do have the privilege and responsibility of preparing the way for others to encounter love of Jesus. We only have to go back to the simple words of the one who went before us for direction. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The economy of the Kingdom works differently than the ways of this world. Less of you makes space for more of God… and more of God is actually where you find more of you. The real, full, blooming, healed version of you. That version of you draws other people in to an irresistible kind of love that lasts forever and always. So let’s all sing it today.

Listen to “Less of Me” by Bridge Worship.