less is more

Opening Prayer: O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me forget myself entirely so to establish myself in you, unmovable and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity. May nothing be able to trouble my peace or make me leave you, O my unchanging God, but may each minute bring me more deeply into your mystery! Grant my soul peace. Make it your heaven, your beloved dwelling and the place of your rest. May I never abandon you there, but may I be there, whole and entire, completely vigilant in my faith, entirely adoring, and wholly given over to your creative action. ~Elizabeth of the Trinity

Scripture: John 3:25-30

Journal: How are you trying to become great these days?  How is it getting in the way of what God is trying to do?  What would it look like to become less?  How would that offer more space for God, and others, to move?

Reflection: One of the great principles of leadership is that the best leaders don’t take up all the room, instead they create space for God, and others, to thrive and move and flourish.  John the Baptist understood that, how else could he have stepped aside so readily and made space for Jesus to take his rightful place in God’s amazing plan of redemption?

     You see, great leaders realize that they are not the point.  They fully embrace the fact that this life is not about them, but about God.  They willing cast the spotlight on God, and on others, because they realize that they are not the star of the show, they are not the center of attention, and they are not the bridegroom, but just the friend of the bridegroom.  Their job is simply to watch and wait and listen for the bridegroom, and when he arrives, to step aside.

     Thus, they prefer being hidden to being seen, being silent to being heard, and being small to being big.  In fact they seek to be small, so that God and others might be big.  That’s what true leadership is all about.  

Prayer

Closing Prayer: Make yourselves small.  Make yourselves very small. ~Angela of Foligno