Trailblazer
Imagine for a moment that you were born for a purpose.
After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized—John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew. They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.’ John answered, ‘No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, “I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.” He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.’ - John 3:22-30
John the Baptist was born to blaze the trail for Jesus, and in today's Gospel, John's purpose is fulfilled.
What is our purpose?
John had a clear vision of what God had in mind for him, and he set out to complete that mission with an unwavering commitment to it. People may have thought him odd or even crazy, but he understood that his gift of purpose came from God.
While John started his mission early, compared to Jesus, it took a while before he built up enough of a following to set the wheels in motion for Jesus to have a following. John worked it for years, so that Jesus could set out on his missions late in life, or late at the time. People didn't live as long then as they do now.
John built the foundation for Jesus' ministry, so it was only natural for his disciples to be concerned. But John showed them that this was the purpose all along. He was setting the stage.
What is our work setting the stage for?
Each of us has a purpose, whether we know it clearly now or not. And that purpose may be to prepare the way for someone else who will take over.
If we view our accomplishments that way, we become more humble. We see that we are not great but God's greatness may be shown in and through us.
John was blessed with an awareness of his place and purpose, something each of us must work hard to discover. But with prayer and persistence, we will find it, and know the joy John knew in fulfilling the mission God has for us.
More to come...