John the Baptist

John 3:27-30

John replied, "God in heaven appoints each person's work. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him, that is all. The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom's friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less."

As I'm impatiently waiting for a job promotion into the field of administration, this verse encourages me because John says it is God who appoints each person's work. It's not man, but God. In the case of this text, he is referring to himself as John the Baptist, the person who comes to tell everyone that Jesus has come. He is explaining to the people that he is not the Messiah, but the one who is to announce the coming of the Messiah. Note that the author of the book is not John the Baptist, but John, one of Jesus's disciples and a close friend of Jesus. However, this verse can apply to me as well. I need to make Jesus greater in my life and live less of me "my own flesh". When I make Jesus greater in my life, things fall into place.