“You- follow me"(John 21:22) In the closing paragraphs of John, Peter is walking with Jesus.
"Peter" asks Jesus, "Do you love me?"
"Yes Lord! I love you!" 3 times the Lord asks, and 3 times Peter responds emphatically "Yes!" Jesus goes on to tell him what will happen to him in his future.
I can just imagine it. Peter, all eyes on the One who walked on water, captivated by the One who raised the dead and was raised from the dead, hanging on to every word of the One who forgave his denial and who had changed his name, calling him The Rock. Nodding intently. All ready to do whatever he was asked, go wherever he was called. Ready to prove how much he loved....
And then, he turns his head.
Behind him, he sees John- John, 'the disciple that Jesus loved'. "What about him Lord?" he asks.. "What will happen to him?" And Jesus replies, I like to imagine with a shoulder shrug, a raised eyebrow and a half smile, "What’s that to you? So what if I want him to live until I return.YOU- FOLLOW ME!"
We spend so much of our life telling Jesus that we love Him, that we'll follow Him anywhere, do anything- "Here I am Lord, send me." And we mean it. And so long as we are keeping our eyes on Jesus and who He is, we are content to do so. But then, so often like Peter, we turn our head. We stop gazing into the eyes of the One we love, the One who loves us most, and look at those around us. We begin to compare our journey with the journey of others.
We stop gazing into the eyes of the One we love, the One who loves us most, and look at those around us.
We compare our walk, our gifts, our ministries, our lives, our pain. Sometimes we come out trumps, other times, we think their walk has been easier or they're getting a way sweeter deal with God than we are. Their gifts are greater; they get healing when we continue in pain. They seem to live under a constant stream of blessing, while we struggle. We work hard. We want to know why. Comparison is not just the thief of joy, but of purpose. It is hard to do what we're called to do, to be present where we are, when we are wishing for something else. This isn't to say that we're not to dream- dream away! God gives us our dreams and places them deep in our hearts. Just don't compare it with others- any of it.
Comparison is not just the thief of joy, but of purpose.
We don't know the journey others are on, or the road they have had, or will have, to travel. And as Jesus says, "What's that to you?!" (or, as I would say- it's none of your business!) Jesus' response to Peter, and his response to us, is the same: "You- Follow me"
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