From: February 4, 2008 by s0j0urn
John 3: 22-36
John the Baptist enjoyed a successful ministry preaching a baptism of repentance. His followers were, therefore, quite surprised when John demonstrated little enthusiasm for defending his ministry from that upstart cousin of his, Jesus. The response that John gave provides us with insights into a unique character, one whose identity was secure and from that, one who might be described as content.
What made this man secure? There is evidence in this dialogue that he knew himself well and accepted his place in life. In verse 27 of John 3 the baptizer claims that “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” Self-awareness is one half of the equation. Knowing oneself requires an honest transparency with regard to one’s strengths and weaknesses. True, some people are so emotionally wounded this degree of self-awareness appears unlikely. The secret of missionary training, for example, is to assist a trainee to achieve this degree of self-awareness. Only in this light will hidden attitudes and biases be addressed so he or she can effectively adapt to a new culture. Insecurity is a sure sign of ineffective cross-cultural sojourning.
The other half of the equation is awareness of God’s supernatural and natural gifting. It is one thing to have a true picture of yourself, it is quite another to know your place in God’s scheme of things. The baptizer was a person who knew his calling. He was not the Holy One, merely the announcer. John, not blinded by ambition, accepted his place and enjoyed his ministry as the Elijah announcing the coming of the Messiah.
Why contentment? The attitudes John brings to his life and ministry facilitated a deep sense of satisfaction with who he was and what he did in life. Verse 29 speaks of this deep joy present in the life of this man. He says that this joy is his and is now complete. Complete joy is an excellent description of the contented soul. John knew contentment, and it came through self-awareness and acceptance of his place in life.
