He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. (John 1:27)

Teachers have always found it interesting to see how different students react to the same grade. For some, a “C” is a valued treasure and accomplishment while for others it is like a slap in the face. The difference comes down to what is a personal standard of comparison. For most, it’s their past performance, whether good or bad. Others look to the overall performance of those around them. But the best students consider their performance in light of the highest possible achievement marks and are discouraged when they fall short of that.

Those who came to John the Baptist felt that he was claiming too much authority, but John made it clear that he knew exactly how much authority he had because he compared it to the true standard-—the authority of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. His self—esteem was based not on what he was doing, but on the One who was far greater than he was.

If we base our view of life on self and what we can accomplish, we will have varying rates of success, but ultimately, we will fail. There is only One with perfect power and authority. God deserves all our worship, and everything we do ought to be for the purpose of pointing others in that same direction.

Holy God, help us all to recognize who You are and may we serve to point others in the “right” direction!