“John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.” (John 1:15)
It is not optional for us to become ever smaller, ever less the focus, ever more in the background while Jesus becomes ever more prominent. John the Baptist said: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
John began his ministry as a faceless “voice” crying in the wilderness; he ended as a headless servant of the one who came after him, but was before him. Jesus was before us, and He will be after us as well.
We may shine for awhile; but it is not in our face that men must see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, we must point them to the face of Christ. Among them that are born of women there had not risen a greater than John the Baptist, but the arrival of Christ meant that his exit was at hand. The Son of God cannot and will not share the stage. Only the Bridegroom gets the Bride. No matter how charismatic a leader may be there can only be one “face” to God’s organization.
Prepare for your demise. However God chooses to remove us from center stage needs to be fine with us.