Less is More

Write From My Heart / September 14, 2020 / Less is More

John 3:30 (KJV, ESV)  He must increase, but I must decrease.  

John 3:30 (NIV)  He must become greater; I must become less.

John 3:30 (NLT) He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

            The phrase “less is more” seems to have become popular during the mid-1900s with the rise of minimalism. In fact, according to several online sources, it was architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe who adopted the phrase (1947), which then spread to many fields. I have to wonder if anyone knew it was John who first acknowledged this corollary when he spoke of Jesus Christ.

            When Jesus first came to John to be baptized, John was hesitant, not fully understanding what was taking place. Immediately following the baptism of Jesus, when John saw the Spirit of God descending upon Jesus, John then understood and realized that Jesus had come to be the Messiah. It was then John understood the importance of his mission to prepare the way for Christ. I have always found it interesting that the actual accounts of Jesus’ baptism are recorded in three of the gospels (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, and Luke 3:21-22). John himself does not describe the account of the baptism event but explains in great detail the significance of the results—that Christ would increase (e.g., become greater) as he himself would decrease (e.g., become less).

John 1:29-30 (NLT) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

John 3:30-31 (NLT) He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.

            Just as John recognized his ministry would yield to the ministry of Christ, I believe we can also see similar corollaries in the life of each Christian. As I look at the world—I see that those who promote self (i.e., self-satisfaction, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, etc.) seem to do so in direct proportion as their need for God decreases. Here is what I mean: a person who is self-satisfied no longer looks to God for satisfaction. A person who deems himself to be self-sufficient no longer acknowledges God’s blessings. A person totally reliant upon self no longer sees a need to rely on God. As “self” increases,  we lose sight of our need for God in our lives.

The irony is this: the person who is truly satisfied, truly sufficient, truly independent is the one who is truly, completely, totally and utterly dependent upon God as our Heavenly Father, Christ as our Savior, and the Holy Spirit as our comforter and guide. Less “self” truly does become more!