Have you ever had someone arrive on the scene who had the potential to decrease your brand?  When I was in High School my “brand” was being the tallest and funniest guy in school, so whenever my friends would tell me about a new person at school who was tall or funny I would say, “They aren't that funny,” or, “they’re not that tall.” 

The reason I felt like this was because I had made the mistake of thinking that in order for me to be important I had to increase my brand.

John the Baptist was faced with a similar challenge when Jesus arrived on the scene and people started to follow Jesus instead of him.  John’s disciples pointed out to him how people were leaving them to follow Jesus and that Jesus’ brand was increasing while his was decreasing.  John replied by saying that “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

John the Baptist was on to something here.  Conventional wisdom tells us that in order for us to become more significant and important we need to increase our brand and build our platforms, but John knew that true significance and importance is directly proportional to the degree that we have decreased so that God can increase in our lives.

Just as a glass can only hold a limited amount of water, in the same way we can only hold a certain amount of God.  And the less of us there is, the more room God will have to fill our hearts and lives.  But whenever there is more of us, this will lead to less of God.

Do you need more joy, peace, love, strength, wisdom, courage and power in your life right now?  Maybe it’s time to decrease, so that God can increase.

God bless,

Roland Talamaivao-Amituanai