The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:29-30)
In life and in ministry, it seems like all too often we have the goal of becoming greater and greater in the lives of those we minister to and with; when our actual mission is to become less and less. The bride belongs to the bridegroom...not to us. Sometimes it is easy to forget that, and to begin to think that we are the point, and that it all somehow depends on us. We are actually just the friend of the bridegroom. Our job is to wait, and to listen, and to be filled with joy unspeakable when the bridegroom finally arrives and takes his beloved bride into his arms. At that point our main job is to step aside. After all, what groom wants his friend around when he takes his new bride into his arms, begins to whisper his words of deep love and affection in her ears, and completely captures her heart? Our presence at that point just gets in his way. So, in life and in ministry, I need a constant reminder that I am not the point. The bride belongs to the bridegroom. I am just the friend.
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