Pointing Others to Jesus, Not Ourselves
Month 2: The King Steps Forward · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 3:30 & Matthew 3:11
30 He must increase; I must decrease. — John 3:30
11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. — Matthew 3:11
Memory Verse
“And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!””— Matthew 3:17 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Leviticus 25-27
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Day 36 of 365 — the Jubilee year: freedom, release, and a fresh start that whisper the gospel.)The Heart of It
John the Baptist had crowds following him. People praised him. He had disciples of his own. He could have built quite a kingdom for himself. Instead, his followers worried that Jesus was getting more popular. And John said the most beautiful thing: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (). About Jesus he said, "One mightier than I... whose sandals I am not worthy to carry" (). John knew exactly who the show was about. And it wasn't him.
This is what real love for others looks like. The most loving thing we can ever do for the people around us is point them to Jesus, not to ourselves. It's tempting to want the credit, the attention, the "look at me." But love says, "Look at Him." When we help a friend, or share, or do something kind, we get to do it in a way that makes Jesus look good rather than ourselves. A family that lives like John becomes a family of arrows. Every life points the people we love straight to the King who can actually save them. Decreasing so Jesus increases isn't losing. It's the happiest way to live.
Around the Table
John was famous, but he said, "Don't look at me. Look at Jesus! He's the great One!" We can point people to Jesus too.
Let's do it: Point your finger up and say together, "Look at Jesus!" three times.
John said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." What do you think it looks like to make Jesus "bigger" and ourselves "smaller"?
Let's talk: When you do something kind, how can you point the credit to Jesus instead of to yourself?
John had every reason to grab the spotlight. Instead, he chose to step aside for Christ. Loving others well means our lives become signposts to Jesus, not billboards for us.
Let's go deeper: Where are you most tempted to want the credit? And how could you "decrease" so Jesus increases there?
💬 Conversation Starter
Would you rather get a big trophy with your name on it, or quietly help someone win who really needed it? Why?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Cynics say religious leaders are all after fame and power. John the Baptist is living proof otherwise. He deliberately handed his crowds to Jesus and shrank his own platform. The gospel produces humility, not self-promotion. And that's part of what makes it ring true.
For Dad · Go Deeper
"He must increase, but I must decrease" might be the most counter-cultural sentence a father can model in an age of personal brands and curated self-image. Your children are watching to learn what a successful life looks like. And you can show them, in a thousand small ways, that the point is to make Jesus look good, not us. That means letting someone else get the credit. It means serving where no one is watching. It means being quick to say "to God be the glory" when something goes well. Love that points away from self is the love John embodied and Jesus perfected on the cross. Decreasing is not shrinking into nothing. It is the soul finding its right size in front of a great Savior.
Draws on: Andrew Murray, Humility.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, like John, help us point the people we love to Jesus, not to ourselves. Make Him bigger and us smaller. Let our whole family point to You. In Jesus' name, amen."
The most loving thing I can do is point people to Jesus, not to myself.