He must increase

Today we read from Matthew 5:27-48 in the One Year Bible. Jesus says some very strong things about avoiding temptation... things like gouging out your own eye, or cutting off your own hand. And we understand this to be conceptual, not literal. Jesus doesn't want us to literally gouge out our eyes. He wants us to take following Him with the utmost seriousness. But something about what He said jumped out at me today.

He emphasized, in both examples, that you should do these things (gouge and chop off) to even your strong eye, your dominant hand. And that brings the message home.

He is saying in one way what John the Baptist said in another. That He must increase, and we must decrease. He is calling us to intentionally weaken ourselves, to be vulnerable, to put ourselves at His mercy. The right place for us, in our lives every day, is to learn to depend on Him. To rest in His strength. For His strength to be made perfect in our weakness.

Keep that in mind when things are hard. When it doesn't work out the way you thought. When your S.O. leaves. When you lose your job. When the doctor report comes back positive. Remember: we are in the best place when we are trusting completely in Him.

God, thanks for teaching us beforehand how important it is to trust you completely.