Less of Me, More of Him
by Coach Brandy Montgomery @brandy_mont47 @ascentperformancenutrition
“He must become greater; I must become less.”~John 3:30
John the Baptist had every reason to make himself the center of attention. Crowds followed him, people hung on his every word, and he had disciples of his own. He was the voice preparing the way for the Messiah. But when Jesus arrived, John didn’t cling to his platform or seek recognition. Instead, he humbly stepped aside and pointed to Christ: “He must become greater; I must become less.”
How often do we fight for recognition, for validation, for proof that we matter? It happens in our work, in our relationships, even in our fitness. We want to be seen, to know that our effort counts. But John’s words remind us that our purpose isn’t to build our own kingdom—it’s to magnify Christ.
That doesn’t mean our work doesn’t matter. John still had a role to play, and so do we. He preached, baptized, and prepared the way. But he never lost sight of the bigger picture. Even when his own following dwindled, even when his circumstances led to suffering, John remained steadfast. His joy wasn’t in the spotlight—it was in fulfilling his calling.
In fitness, we can get caught up in numbers—how much we lift, how fast we move, how we measure up. In life, we strive to achieve, to be noticed, to feel significant. But what if the greatest impact isn’t in making more of ourselves, but in making more of Christ? In a world that says “be more,” John’s words remind us that the truest strength is in saying, “I’ll step back so Jesus can be seen more clearly through me.”
For me, the struggle isn’t comparing myself to others in the gym or chasing how heavy I can lift—but outside the gym, that’s where the challenge shows up. In my life, I push myself to achieve ___ (fill in the blank), to prove I’m doing enough, being enough, becoming enough. The danger is that I can slip into the trap of spending too much time and energy chasing my goals and jeopardizing the time I want to spend with God- that makes me living a life of more of ME and less of HIM. And, I don’t ever want to be so busy in life that my son can’t see me chasing after God the most. It’s something I have to keep a close eye on—both with how I use my time and what I allow to fill my thoughts.
There’s nothing wrong with having goals or wanting to accomplish things, but I’ve learned I need to regularly pause and check my motives. Am I pursuing these things to glorify God, or to prove something to myself or others? I have to keep coming back to the big picture: Am I living as a disciple? Am I shining His light in a way that matters for eternity?
John’s humility wasn’t weakness; it was strength. He knew who he was, but more importantly, he knew who Jesus was. And that was enough.
Reflect:
Where in your life are you tempted to seek recognition or validation? How can you shift your focus to making Christ greater instead? What would it look like to trust that your role—no matter how big or small—is valuable because it points to Him?
Take Action:
Find one area in your life where you tend to seek recognition or control. This could be at work, in relationships, in your fitness journey, or even in your faith. Ask God to help you shift your focus from making more of yourself to making more of Him. Then, take a practical step—maybe that’s encouraging someone else, serving without needing credit, or simply praying, “Lord, less of me, more of You.”