Have you seen someone who is far greater than you? Have you worked to prepare the way for someone expected? Would you like to be sent ahead of someone who is important to prepare things ahead of them? Have you heard the story of John the Baptist?
Preparing the way for someone more important than yourself is not all it’s cracked up to be. Don’t believe me? Just ask any campaign worker. There are long hours of planning. Long hours of door knocking. Many hours of behind-the-scenes work. Often not much sleep.
Don’t know anyone working for a political campaign? Ask anyone who is trying grow your local church. Ask a pastor. Ask a dedicated committee member. It is a never-ending task of reaching out to new people. It is continually telling people about the ministries of the church, convincing people they need Jesus, and energizing the membership to get out into the community.
I imagine John the Baptist had many restless and sleepless nights. He knew his mission. He was to prepare the way for the most important person the world has ever seen. He was to prepare the way for the Messiah, the Christ. He was preaching, teaching, baptizing, and warning people of the coming of God himself into the world. Talk about a high-pressure job!
But John took it on with all the fervor he had. I’m sure he also leaned heavily on God to give him the strength, courage, and energy he needed to carry out his mission. We, too, must lean on God to guide us and provide us with the strength we need to carry out the mission he has given us, which is to continue to tell people about Jesus.
I pray we all take up the mission of telling others about Jesus. I pray we follow John’s example. I pray each one of us realize we are working for the most important person the world has ever seen—Jesus. Take on the mission. Ask God to guide you. Ask God for strength. Ask God for energy. Ask God for courage. Tell others about Jesus.
John 1:29-31 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
Marty Pressey 