What is that to you? Follow Me.

As Jesus and Peter walked that recommissioning walk by the sea in John 21, Peter noticed that John was following. It seems like John was always following Jesus. Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" v.21.

Jesus' answer is packed with instruction for you and me. We don't know what Peter meant when he asked Jesus about John. He might have meant, "Lord, what is your will for John? You've just said that in old age I will be taken where I don't want to go. What will happen to him?" Jesus doesn't tell Peter what he has in store for John. He says, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?" v.22. It seems that Jesus is saying, "I have given indication that your death will be by the force of others, just like mine. What if I will that John doesn't die until I come?" That is, "I am not telling you what his end will be. Whatever happens to him will be by MY sovereign will, just like for you. But no matter what my will is for him, you are still to FOLLOW ME!"

What God wills for our lives is what He wills for US. What He wills for others He wills for THEM. THEY are not to be our focus, JESUS is! We are to follow Jesus, no matter what He chooses for us or for others. He may choose a hard way for us, full of suffering and pain and loss. At the same time He may choose for our best believing friend a way that seems relatively free from difficulties (though no believer is without them!). We might be tempted to become bitter at the hard way chosen for us and the "easy" way for them. Jesus would say, "Follow Me." Take your eyes off of them and put them on Me. Don't get into the comparison game. Don't begin to weigh what you go through against what others go through...it will only lead to bitterness and thoughts of "NOT FAIR!" "Follow Me!" There is a race marked out for you by Jesus (Hebrews 12:1). You run your race. Do not long for another's course. Do not allow yourself to envy their path. "Follow Me."

When we stand before Jesus at His bema seat of judgment some day, He will not ask us about the race of others. He will not compare our sufferings with others. He will simply ask, "Did you follow Me?"

Embrace the race marked out for you and Follow Him.