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

Today, as i read that verse, i was reminded of a brother in Christ i met several years ago (this very week) by the name of H. J. Sadhu Dayapara. Brother Dayapara was a 70-year-old pastor faithfully serving his Lord in the City of Bangalore, in the State of Karnataka, India. Several friends and i were in Bangalore to lead a three-day visioning retreat for pastors that were serving throughout the State of Karnataka. To this day, i will never understand why the Lord directed for us to be the presenters at the conference for these brothers. As i stood before them, i knew that it was i who needed to be sitting at their feet, learning from them.

Pastor Dayapara sat there on the very front row all three days, taking in everything that we shared. Though we were separated by a language barrier, we were drawn together by a kinship in Jesus. Throughout our time together, as i watched him and listened to him (through an interpreter), i was drawn to the image of Jesus that radiated through him. i was overwhelmed by the humility and overflow of the fruit of the spirit that was pouring out of this brother. He did not pastor a large church, and probably never would, but he bore all the characteristics of a good and faithful shepherd, who was as much concerned about the one as he was about the ninety-nine. His life bore witness that Jesus was his life and his treasure, his desire and his dream, his purpose and his path. His life evidenced the very truth that John the Baptist spoke – “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The conference had been convened to discuss the topics of ministry vision, mission, and strategic planning and mobilization for mission. While i do not want to disparage those topics or the conference convener’s intent, the simple truth is that what the Lord was impressing on my heart through the time was that too often we make following Jesus too complicated. What we all really needed was to simply be more like Jesus. We needed to rely less on our principles and strategies, and more on the One who set down His crown to pick up a cross. i’m not saying that God doesn’t have a clear vision and mission. He does! And that mission is to reconcile and redeem a hurt, broken and sinful world back to Himself through the cross of Christ. God has been very strategic in His purpose and His plan since before the beginning of time. The plan isn’t complicated. It doesn’t have multiple points. The plan has one Point. His plan is Jesus.

As i think back to that day, i am mindful that the truth i witnessed by watching Pastor Dayapara not only applies to pastors and churches, it applies to each and every one of us. As followers of Jesus, our lives have become so full of “everything except Jesus” that there often isn’t much room left for Jesus. When others encounter us throughout the day what do they see? Do they see busy people? Uncaring people? Distant people? Argumentative people? Or do they see Jesus?

Do others see us trying to lord our opinion, our knowledge or our position over them? Do they see us preoccupied with our agenda? Or do they see us getting up from the table with a towel and a basin in hand in order to wash their feet?

Allow me to close out this week’s blog with a Passion Worship song that we sang this past Sunday that speaks to the heart of this truth. Lord, make me more like Jesus!

More Like Jesus

You came to the world You created
Trading Your crown for a cross

You willingly died
Your innocent life paid the cost

Counting Your stature as nothing
The King of all kings came to serve

Washing my feet
Covering me with Your love

 

If more of You means less of me
Take ev'rything

Yes all of You is all I need
Take ev'rything

 

You are my life and my treasure
The One that I can't live without

Here at Your feet
My desires and dreams I lay down

Here at Your feet
My desires and dreams I lay down

 

If more of You means less of me
Take ev'rything

Yes all of You is all I need
Take ev'rything (Repeat)

Lord, change me like only You can
Here with my heart in Your hands

Father I pray make me
More like Jesus

This world is dying to know who You are
You've shown us the way to Your heart

Father I pray
Make me more like Jesus

 
More like Jesus
More like Jesus

Oh, oh
Lord

Oh, Lord Father I pray, Father I pray
Make me more like Jesus

 

If more of You means less of me
Take ev'rything

Yes all of You is all I need
Take ev'rything (Repeat)

Brooke Ligertwood, Scott Ligertwood, Brett Younker, Kristian Stanfill
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