Increase Joy by Decreasing Self

           Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Drink in the joy of Jesus and be humble & wise.

            Proverbs 11:2 warns:  “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”

                Charles Swindoll tells the story of a pastor who was voted the most humble pastor in America.  His congregation gave him a medal that said, ‘To the most humble pastor in America”.  Then they took it away from him on Sunday because he wore it!

                It’s a slippery slope, for sure!  We want to be humble, but yet our human nature seems to enjoy praise and recognition. F.B. Meyers wrote that “THE ONLY HOPE of decreasing self is an increasing Christ.”   When we accept the truth that we are nothing without Him, then we have taken a step in the right direction toward humility.  Be aware that there are many stumbling blocks along our path, DAILY. 

                John 3:30 says: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John’s willingness to decrease in importance shows unusual humility.  Sometimes, even those in ministry are tempted to focus more on the success of their achievements rather than on Christ. Jonathan Edwards was quoted to have said: “The best protection one can have from the devil and his schemes is a humble heart.”

            May we decrease ourselves as we increase our joy “intake” by allowing Jesus to always be the one glorified!