In John 3, a potential rivalry emerges between the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus, both calling people to repentance and preparing hearts for God’s kingdom. This situation highlights a temptation that is all too familiar in our own context: the urge to compare, compete, and build our own little “kingdoms” rather than cooperating for the sake of the gospel. Just as the proliferation of chicken restaurants each claims to be the best, so too can churches and ministries become territorial, forgetting that the mission is not about us, but about Christ.
John the Baptist’s response to his disciples’ jealousy is a model of humility and clarity. He reminds them that no one can receive anything unless it is given from heaven. Ministry is not something we manufacture or possess; it is a stewardship, a gift from God to be held with open hands. John’s calling was not to build a personal following, but to point people to Jesus, the true Bridegroom. His joy was complete not when people flocked to him, but when they went to Jesus. “He must increase, I must decrease” is the heartbeat of all faithful ministry.
This attitude is not just for pastors or those in formal leadership. Every believer, having been born again, is called into ministry—whether in the church, the home, the workplace, or the community. We are a royal priesthood, called to proclaim the excellencies of Christ. The gifts and opportunities we have are not for our own glory, but for the strengthening of the body and the magnifying of Jesus’ name. When we make ministry about ourselves—our preferences, our reputation, our sense of indispensability—we rob God of glory and set ourselves up for disappointment.
Instead, we are called to serve with humility, holding our roles loosely, always ready to celebrate when Christ is exalted, even if it means we fade into the background. The measure of success is not how many follow us, but how faithfully we point others to Jesus. Like John the Baptist, our greatest joy should be to hear the voice of the Bridegroom and to see Him receive all that is rightfully His. May we steward our ministries well, making much of Jesus and little of ourselves, trusting that the gospel is enough and that God is sovereign over every opportunity to serve.
