John 1:19-28
Your friend calls to share a problem. You listen carefully, with all the appropriate "oh no's", and "you poor thing's" interjected into the telling. Then the moment comes when they stop to ask "What do you think I should do?" If you are like me you may dive right in giving them what you believe are all the right answers - guaranteed to produce the results they are looking for!
In John 1: 19 the priests and Levites come to John the Baptist to ask him who he was. He is quick to tell them that he is not the Christ! Then they ask him if he is Elijah or the prophet - his answer is no to both questions. Finally they ask "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?". John the Baptist uses scripture from Isaiah to explain who he is: " I am the voice of the one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' " So what exactly was he doing? Luke 3:3 tells us John went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, getting people ready for the ministry of Christ on earth. He clearly states in Luke 3:16, that one more powerful than he was coming - one that would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist had a following, people thought he might be the Christ, or at least a great prophet. He could've dispensed advice and teaching based on what he thought to be good and true. Look closely though at what he does instead - he turns people to the scripture for answers, and he always takes the attention from himself to point them to Christ.
There's a lesson here for us - like there always is when we read the Word! When people come to us for help with thier problems, are we giving them answers from scripture? Are we pointing them to Christ?
This scripture reminds me to proceed cautiously with advice, carefully weighing my words with God's Word. And always, always pointing them to Christ so that He is glorified by the good He alone can do in our lives!
My daughter is probably the only one I do that with, I guess I want her to follow Christ's advice because mine is so flawed.
ReplyDeleteYes, a good lesson to remember. Lord, help us to be careful not to give people our own advice too quickly, but rather let You guide us as we speak, to not speak words by human wisdom but in words taught by Your Spirit, that our conversations would be full of Your grace and seasoned with Your salt so we may know how to answer everyone. These verses are also calling me to repentance. John is saying to prepare the way for Jesus, to clear the obstacles(my sin) that keep me from Him. When I repent and turn from my sin my path leads directly to Him. Only Jesus can smooth out my rough places and straighten my crooked roads and remove those obstacles that keep me from receiving the full blessing of His Spirit.
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