The description of his assignment was to come and prepare the way of the Lord, making the path straight for him to begin his ministry. So, with all these fantastic credentials in the life of John the Baptist, surely there must be some notable lessons to draw from his life. Unfortunately, these lessons are both good and detestable.
HERE ARE FIVE (5) LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.
1. There's A PRE-Ordination for All Men [Luke 1:5-25].
Like every individual on earth, John the Baptist was born with a definite purpose. But his assignment is so unique that God had to send an angel, Gabriel, to announce his birth.
[Luke 1:11-17] The Angel Gabriel came to Zechariah, John's soon-to-be father, giving him the full description and scope of John's ministry.
According to the prophecy from the Angel Gabriel, Part of his assignment was that he would bring back the people of Israel, the Lord their God. He was supposed to continue the ministry of Elijah, the prophet of the Lord who ascended into heaven via whirlwind. [Luke 1:17]
With such a detailed revelation of his life and ministry even before his arrival, you should understand that God's-hands were indeed upon him; he came at that time to serve a definite purpose.
The same can be related to our lives today, except that several people are unaware that they have a prophetic destiny.
So, you'd see many people living their lives carelessly and with such indifference to their pre-ordination. I hope that narrative will change for as many who'd read this article.
2. There's great power in growth and discipline
The importance and power of Growth and discipline in the life of every believer cannot be overemphasized. The Bible revealed to us how John the Baptist lived a life of discipline and dedication to his calling. In [Luke 1:80], the Bible says, "The boy (John) grew strong in the spirit, and he lived in the desert until the day of his public appearance to the people of Israel."
Now, having realized how much is at stake with his destiny, John chose to pay the price for Growth and also separated himself from every distraction. In fact, his discipline also affected his meal. The Bible said he lived in the desert.
In [Matt. 3:4], the Bible revealed John's food to as locust and wild honey. He did that for years as one of the prices to pay for his incontestable destiny.
Today, several people would instead take pleasure in God's will and assignment for them. Unknown to them, there's a personal commitment from them before that glorious destiny evolves.
3. Dedication to Purpose.
Passion and dedication are the primary ingredients you need to succeed in any endeavor. John the Baptist consistently pursued purpose and relentlessly manifested it with proofs and notable results.
In [Luke 1:1-15], John began the work that God sent him. He taught from the wilderness that he was. Several people from several parts of Israel came to him, including the Pharisees, Sadducees, Soldiers, and many teachers of the Law. He taught all of them and attended to all their needs.
It was during those times he started baptizing people as well, and ultimately gave him the title," The Baptist."
He was so dedicated to his calling that it at some points, people began to wonder if he was the Messiah. Until he countered their thoughts and whispers with a loud disclaimer that he is not the messiah, but only here to prepare the way for him.
Even at that confession, many people still believed he was the messiah, because he demonstrated several attributes of the promise of the messiah they had received, through his commitment and dedication to serving his God-ordained purpose.
4. Misalignment from Destiny.
Alas, John did not maintain this fire till the end. A time came when John the Baptist, although compared with the messiah, although thought of to be an exceptional leader and a force that could not be reckoned with, although commanded extraordinary results and impact; however, he didn't finish his race well, like Apostle Paul would say.
He allowed offense to creep into his life. He was angry and disappointed in Jesus because he didn't attend to him while he was in prison. He even sent his disciples to go and ask Jesus if he was indeed the messiah they were expecting, or perhaps there's yet another coming. [Luke 7:18-22]
John was imprisoned by Herod, when he accused him of illegally taking his (Herod) brother's wife, Herodias. [Matt 14:1-12] eventually, Herod killed John the Baptist in prison, by beheading him, after the request of the princess during a festival.
He (John) who Jesus Christ himself called "The greatest of all prophets" reduced to a mockery and a scape goat before Herod and his guests. Such a great lesson to be learned.
5. What Could Have Been.
John the Baptist at the end missed it big time. The same can be narrated for several people on earth today.
There's so much expectations (from God) on your life, yet you choose to allow some ignorable situations form up a garrison against God's diving plan an ordination for you.
According to Jesus Christ [Matt. 11:11-12], John the Baptist was greater than anyone that ever lived before him. Although he was dead, Jesus still acknowledged what he stood for, but also emphasized what more he could have represented had he not be prematurely cut off from the face of the earth.
Conclusion
No doubts, we have learned tremendously from the life of John the Baptist. We all are uniquely ordained by God to carry out His purposes on earth. However, whenever you prove to be unfruitful or deviate from the pattern He has given you, He sees to be the one who sent you. We hope you have been blessed by this article.
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