He is Greater

On my run through the neighborhood the other day, my mind was unsettled with wonder over all that is happening in our world, like when will this be over? Suddenly this scripture interrupted my thoughts, “He must become greater, I must become less.”

On repeat as my mind drifted to worrying about all the unknowns, this verse replayed again and again. I knew it came from scripture, so when I got home, I went to my Bible to find it and read on. As I read John 3:30, “He must become greater; I must become less,” I continued on to verse 31, “The one who comes from above is above all . . .”

He is above all. What a powerful truth! He is above all my worry, above all the canceled plans, above all the sickness. He is above it all.

It feels helpless at times without the freedoms we have grown accustomed to, but I believe God is using this to show us He is greater as we experience becoming less.

He must become greater in our home. Waking up before our children to fill our cup reading scripture, spending time in prayer, writing in a gratitude journal, or if mornings are difficult, we can stay up after the kids are in bed and trade in a night of Netflix to watch a sermon on YouTube. We can add prayer before meals and invite church into our home every Sunday.

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He is revealing Himself to us in this new-found stillness. He’s always been here, but in our busyness, He was void of our attention. We are all awake now, and I believe He wants to strengthen our families by drawing us closer to Him.

He must become greater to our children. I know we are spending more time with our families, and it has its blessings and its challenges, but I believe God wants us to reveal more of Him to our children in this time. Morning devotion with our kids can happen with more time in the morning now that we don’t have a commute. Family walks with our children truly listening to their concerns. Talking with our kids about their gifts and pointing out the good we see in them. Spend time writing daily affirmations to place on their mirrors.

On days our patience is thin, ask God to allow us to see our children the way He sees them.

He must become greater than our plans. Trips canceled, graduations canceled, family gatherings on hold—it’s difficult to plan for anything in the future. My husband and I hoped for our 10-year anniversary to visit Italy for the first time, it was something we have talked about for 10 years, to be honest. But as we celebrated our anniversary in our backyard last weekend, sharing great conversation and a wonderful meal together, I realized this memory wouldn’t have happened if not for these circumstances.

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He is greater than our goals. Maybe like me, you set big goals for 2020. You spent time planning and writing them out, you were working to be more intentional with your time, but now you can’t help but feel it’s pointless. I am right there with you.

At first, I was devasted when the plans for my children’s book ended abruptly. The scheduled book signings and story-times, missionaries reading my book to children on their upcoming trips, and the philanthropic opportunities—all of it canceled. Rather than throw in the towel on our goals for 2020, we can overcome our frustration by continuing to plant seeds during this quiet time, trusting He will reveal what is planted in the soil in His perfect timing.

Although there are still many hardships and so many unknowns, if we try to focus less on our own desires, we will begin to see life through a new lens.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

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He is making a way in our homes, in our communities, in our country, and in this world, for us to see He is greater and He is above all.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).