“He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30

Our technology allows us to take pictures of ourselves. We can capture what our emotions feel like on our faces by snapping a selfie. We can practice how we look to others. We can practice our outward appearance so we look our strongest, cutest, most seductive, meanest, surprised. Then compare selfies. Then practice the look. All this in an effort to keep up appearances.

As we begin to fulfill our true purpose in life we begin to realize it is never about our outward appearance. When God looked for a vessel to pour His purpose, strength and ability through God looked for a person with an inner history with God. Something that was formed in the quiet place. Something that was experienced between God and a man or woman in the secret.

That place, for a shepherd named David in 1 Samuel 15, was among sheep in a meadow under the stars. The place David had to trade fear of the bear and lion for trust in God. David had to trade self preservation for preserving sheep, David had to trade his personal self worth for the confidence and strength of the Living God.

David like John the Baptist had to decrease so the Lord could increase.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to use us as vessels of Honor happens in two places. First at the cross of Christ we allow ourselves to come to an end to take up our new identity as a vessel for God to use. Galatians 2:20

Second we work it out in the quiet, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew‬ ‭6:6‬ ‭

There in the quiet we let The Holy Spirit examine every thought, desire, rebellion, frustration, fear, learned habit, advise, motive...on and on in a hundred ways that the Spirit of God divides soul and spirit joint and marrow until all is made into nothing. We come out like David, John the Baptist, Saul of Tarsus, Jesus, holding on to nothing of our ‘selfie’s’ but having everything of the nature of God. Because we have the understanding of the One that is living in us.

The cross and prayer when used as a blunt instrument in our lives we become vessels of the Most High God. He is worthy of our best!