May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

“He must increase, I must decrease”

This is one of my favorite lines from John’s Gospel.  It is the ultimate statement of humility; showing a true acceptance of God’s plan for his life.  It is not about what I want.  God knows what is best for my fellow man and me. He is saying that God must be our guide.

As professionals we are used to planning our day, our week; many are called to write business plans that look out multiple years.  Most successful ventures are those that stick to the plan and follow through on the details.  Companies pay consultants big money to help them set targets and give insight from an outside perspective.  Even in our personal life.  If we do not set goals then we can never expect to improve ourselves; and those projects and people we deal with daily.

So, how does God’s plan fit into this?  It can seem quite a conundrum.  How can you be expected to plan, but then leave it to God’s plan?  You expect success.  How can He not want that for you?

The way I gain perspective is through John’s prayer: “He must increase, I must decrease”.  God does not want to plan your life.  He wants to be a part of your life.  He wants to be the influence in your planning process.  The more you go to Him in prayer and in the Eucharist; the more God will be a partner in deciding your goals.  And, what better partner could you have to advise what is best for you and those around you.

As you work through your plan, situations arise that require critical decisions to be made.  Sometimes these decisions could mean success or failure.  If He has increased in your life, you are more likely to make a good decision, based on what is truly best.  If not, your choice will be based primarily on one thing, yourself.  How do you want to affect your plan?

I have heard of some Eastern Orthodox monks that walk around, bobbing their heads, and repeating “He must increase, I must decrease” to continually focus on giving their lives over to God.  Now, I am not suggesting that you stroll around the office, chanting like a monk.  I am saying that you should increase him in your life.  He only wants what is best for you and is here to help you on that path.

As I look back on my like, the more time I have spent time with Him in prayer and in front of the Blessed Sacrament, more often I have made good plans and decisions.  They may have been tough decisions, but they were the right ones for my family and me.

Ask God to be a bigger part of your life. Ask Him to help you with your planning and decision making processes.  Pray before you plan.  Kneel before you make a big decision.  You have the best consultant that money can buy, available to you at all times, at no cost but your time.

I am always,

Very truly yours, in Christ
Greg Mays
president@catholicbusinessleague.org