“He must increase, but I must decrease.”
- John 3:30
Something is striking about a tree after the leaves are gone. The branches are exposed. There is nowhere to hide. The tree looks different without all the fullness of summer and beauty of fall.
Sometimes God brings seasons into our lives that feel like that. Personally, it has been a long season of winter for me. I went through a painful divorce and left an abusive marriage after years of counseling. My kids and I lost everything: our home, my car. Everything. We had to move in with my parents and rebuild. I had to rebuild my career after being a stay-at-home mom and find a new place for my kids and me to live. I had one child in middle school, one in high school, and one starting college. It was brutal. It’s been over 12 years now, and yet the sting of being divorced never really leaves. Sharing holidays, special occasions, and just navigating life without a significant other can get lonely.
On top of that, I was diagnosed with a very aggressive case of arthritis that attacked my spine and joints. In the last five years, I have endured 6 spine surgeries and two knee surgeries. There is medical debt, navigation of working from home due to difficulty walking, and countless other hurdles from having multiple sets of rods placed into my spine. I don’t share this to gain sympathy, but to be real. Life is hard at times.
Things can get stripped away. Our plans, comfort, hope for the future, and accomplishments. Sometimes, even our identity is stripped away. For me, I was no longer someone’s wife. I was now a divorcee (a label I despised and never wanted) and now a single mom.
These life changes can make us suddenly ask: Who am I when the things I depended on are gone? John the Baptist understood this. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
That isn't a message our culture celebrates. Society tells us to build ourselves up. Make yourself bigger, better, known.
But Christianity teaches something different. We become more fully alive when Christ becomes greater in us. Sometimes God strips things away so we can see what truly matters. Other times, we suffer hardships and difficulties simply because we live in this fallen world.
The bare branches aren't ugly. They're honest. And sometimes honesty before God is exactly where growth begins. When our branches are laid bare before Him, He works. Just because we don’t see growth in the winters, doesn’t mean that God isn’t working to bring new growth and beauty.
John knew his role was to prepare everyone for Jesus' arrival. Likewise, our suffering and lives should also be an example that points others to Christ and the truth of His Word, so that others might come to know Him.
What has been stripped away in your life? Where do you need Christ to increase in your life?
Prayer: Jesus, help me be willing to let You remove anything that keeps me from becoming more like You. When life feels stripped down, help me see it as an invitation to depend more fully on You. Amen.
With Love,
Sherry Shepherd
Some seasons feel stripped down, quiet, and unfamiliar. But bare branches are not always broken branches. Sometimes they are simply branches in a holy season of release — a season where God is teaching us to surrender what is no longer needed so His life can be seen more clearly in us.
John the Baptist’s words in John 3:30 are both humbling and freeing: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” There is beauty in a life that points less to self and more to Christ. There is beauty in the making room. There is beauty in the letting go.
Take a few quiet moments to pray, breathe, and reflect. Use the journaling prompts below to consider what God may be asking you to release and how He may be growing something deeper in you through this season.
Journal & Reflect
- What in your life feels bare, quiet, or reduced right now?
- How does John 3:30 speak to the season you are in?
- What might “He must increase, but I must decrease” look like in your daily life?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does John 3:30 mean?
John 3:30 is a statement of humility and surrender. John the Baptist recognized that Jesus should become greater in our lives while our own desires, pride, and self-focus decrease.
Why can bare seasons still be beautiful?
Bare seasons can be beautiful because they often create space for clarity, healing, and deeper dependence on God. What feels empty may actually be making room for renewal.
What should I do when I feel stripped down by life?
Bring your honesty to God. Instead of rushing the season, ask Him what He may be teaching you, releasing in you, or growing through you.
How do I know if I’m surrendering well?
Surrender is not perfection. It is a willingness to keep returning to God with open hands, trusting Him more than your own understanding.
Prayer
Lord,
Thank You that even in bare seasons, You are present and at work. Help me trust that what feels empty is not wasted in Your hands. Teach me to live with open hands, to release what no longer serves Your purposes, and to make room for more of You. Let my life point to Jesus with humility, beauty, and grace.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
Message from Kara
I know bare seasons can feel uncomfortable. We often want fullness, clarity, and visible fruit, but God sometimes does some of His deepest work in the quiet places where it feels like very little is happening. If you are in a season like that, I want you to know that you are not forgotten.
My prayer is that this devotional helps you see that there can be beauty in surrender — beauty in releasing what is no longer needed and beauty in making room for more of Christ. Even when your life feels stripped down, God is still shaping something good, steady, and holy in you.
With Love,
Kara
Applying this to your Daily Routine
Take time to reflect, pray, and process what God is teaching you through every season. Our Personalized Prayer Journal was designed to help you grow deeper in faith—one day at a time–turning intention into habit. Many people use journals to revisit verses like these and reflect throughout the week.
👉 Explore Personalized Scripture Products at www.papersunday.com
Today's devotional pairs beautifully with the Winter Forest | Personalized Scripture Journal
If you’re still working through questions of who you are, these devotionals can guide you:
Genesis 41:51-52 • God Makes Us Fruitful After the Pain
Genesis 39:9 Devotional • Choosing Integrity When No One Is Watching
