Reduced to Christ

“He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God.”
2 CORINTHIANS 1:21

If we have Him then we have everything that is in Him already. If only we can get less of everything else, there will be more of Him revealed! With less of me there will be more of Him.

Jesus said that “only One Thing is needed,” but like Martha, we have become troubled over “many things” (Luke 10:40-42). When those many things are discarded, and we are decreased, then we are free to focus our attention on the One Thing that really matters, and Christ is increased in us. This is why we say that spiritual growth is not more knowledge or increase of years; it is simply more of Him and less of me. He increases as I am decreased. This is what it means to be a disciple. This is how Christ becomes preeminent over us individually. It does not happen all at once, but over the process of many temptations, tests, trials, and a fair amount of suffering. I call it being reduced to Christ.

Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden