Are We Less?

During my prayer time this morning, I found myself reading through the Gospel of John.  John is by far my favorite of the the four Gospels and although I've read it dozens of times, I always seem to run across some new spiritual insight that I hadn't perceived before.  The depth of John is phenomenal.  It's filled with deep theology, beautiful illustrations, captivating stories and poetic writing that make simple, the complex.

And although I read through three chapters, it was one small verse that caused me to pause, and as usual, think about how it applies to Life Groups.  "He must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30  What a contrasting statement for the culture that we live in, but what a beautiful declaration of our lives as servants for Christ.  At the time, John the Baptist's ministry was at its high point.  All the pieces were coming together and he was finally seeing the fruition of all that he had worked for: preparing the way for the Messiah.  And although he could have continued ministering and preaching with the same energy and passion that he had before Jesus came on the scene, he realized that the complete focus needed to be on the one who's path he had prepared.  Christ needed to become greater; John needed to become less.

As you prepare for you Life Groups this week, ask yourself a simple question:  Although society, and sometimes even the Church, teaches us to become greater, in what ways can we become less?  Here are 5 suggestions on which to meditate and get you started:

1.  Your Life Group Must Become Greater - Remember that your Life Group was not developed for you.  Although you are responsible for facilitating your group, and the responsibility is great, your group is a living, breathing extension of the Body of Christ.  You are a functioning member of the Body and happen to have the specific function of leading.  You can't function as a Life Group leader without the group, as the group can't function without you.  All parts together create the Life Group; the Body.

2.  Your Individual Members Must Become Greater - Although each member makes up the Life Group, each member also walks their own specific spiritual journey.  Each person is unique, which is what makes each group unique.  But just as you would focus your attention on a broken limb, each member of the group may need more care from time to time.  When we put others before ourselves, we become in tune with the ups and down of each person's individual journey.  (See Philippians 2:3)

3.  Your Co-Leader Must Become Greater -Remember that in many ways, you are a mentor to your co-leader.  This person may, or may not, go on to lead a Life Group of their own.  A significant of amount of their leadership ability will come from your guidance.  Through God's Spirit, you are called to plant the seeds that will enable them to lead a healthy and successful Life Group.  How will they if there is not someone there to guide them?  (See Acts 8:26-40)

4.  Gateway Must Become Greater - As each Life Group is an individual Body of Christ, each is an extension of the larger Body of Gateway Community Church.  And Gateway is an extension of the Body of Christ; the Church of Jesus Christ.  While we as individuals have different personalities, and maybe even differ in some beliefs, we all believe in the ministry of Gateway, and long to see it successful in revealing the Kingdom of God to the communities around us.  Never let your Life Group become an entity in and of itself.

5.  He Must Become Greater - And here we are, at the essence of where we began.  We come full circle and find ourselves going back to John's original statement, which we each call for ourselves as well.  When all is said and done, it is not about us, our ability and our talents.  It's not about the individual members, your co-leader or Gateway.  The essence of why we lead and do what we do, revolves around the centrality of the Kingdom of God, Christ our King, and making them known to the world around us.