John 3:26-27
They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."
To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.”

As I was reading this passage of scripture, John’s statement here really jumped out at me. John’s disciples have come to him with a report. In actuality, it seems they have come to him like little children ready to tattle on their brother, or a band of gossips who cannot wait to deliver some gossip that is sure to send their listener into the midst of some heated drama. They want John to get stirred up. Some guy is stealing their converts!

“Look man, that dude, you know the one YOU said was the Messiah, the one YOU baptized, well he is over there baptizing too. Everyone is starting to go over to him instead of coming to you. You need to do something about this.”

John’s response probably took them by total surprise. It is the opposite of what they were expecting, the opposite of how almost any human would have responded. John didn’t jump to his feet and set his PR Firm into a Follow John campaign. He didn’t come out with a new sermon series highlighted by the most dazzling and advanced multimedia equipment available in all of Judea. Here is what John says:

“That is cool. I can only receive what God has given me.”

John is at total peace with this. He doesn’t get all puffed up and outraged that Jesus was moving in on his turf or that his flock was starting to follow Him. John realizes that everything we are given comes from the Father, and to expect more, to kick and scream about it, to try to change this is as futile as futility can be. He is content with God’s will for him.

John’s response leads me to ask a question, are we satisfied with what God has given to us? Do we sometimes try to go beyond God’s will in acquiring things we don’t have or a ministry that isn’t ours? I believe that often we do, at least I do.

Now, does this mean that we shouldn’t strive for the best in our lives in ministries? Does this mean that we shouldn’t do everything we can to live a great life or have the most effective ministry possible? Not at all. But what is most important for us to strive for is the best life and ministry that we can have in what God has given us. What we want to do is look at the things that God has given us and say, “Am I doing all I can, am I taking care of everything that God has given me to the best of the abilities that God has given me?”

Too often, we are looking for more and better. We examine our lives, our ministries and compare them against others and find ourselves frustrated because they don’t measure up to someone else’s. We want what they have. We want more than what God has given us. This is dangerous to our faith in Christ. Ultimately, not being satisfied in what God has given us leads to disillusionment with ourselves, our lives, our ministires, and in the end, God.

I examine my own heart and realize that I have been guilty of this dissatisfaction, and that the confusion in my heart and mind can be directly attributed to this. But when I think of John’s answer to his disciples, I feel a peace about my life that I haven’t felt in a long time. I am thankful for what God has given me, and I truly want nothing more. And more than that, I am thankful for the mercy God has shown me by teaching me this.