Day 30 — “You Follow Me!”

“When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain until I return, what is that to you? You follow Me!’”

— John 21:21–22 (BSB)

Right after Jesus restored Peter and told him to feed His sheep, Jesus told Peter something about his future. He said that when Peter was old, he would suffer for following Jesus.

Peter looked over at John, who was walking behind them. And Peter asked, “Lord, what about him?”

In other words, What’s going to happen to John? Is his life going to be hard too? Is it fair?

Have you ever done that? Compared your life to someone else’s? Why does he get to do that and I don’t? Why is it easier for him? Why does he have more stuff, more talent or more friends?

Jesus gave Peter a simple answer: “What is that to you? You follow Me!”

In other words, Don’t worry about John’s story. That’s between Me and him. You focus on following Me.

Jesus has a different path for every one of His followers. Peter’s path was different from John’s. Your path will be different from your friends’. Some guys will be pastors, and some will be plumbers. Some will be famous, and most won’t. Some will have easy lives, and some will have hard ones. But every one of us has the same job: follow Jesus.

That’s where this book ends. You’ve learned to be faithful:

• in integrity, being real all the way through, playing fair, doing right when no one’s watching and not hiding sin;
• with screens, keeping Jesus as the boss, numbering your days, controlling your anger, staying innocent about evil, not disappearing and meeting with God first;
• against temptation, knowing how it works, watching and praying, running from wrong and chasing right, getting help from friends, not trading forever for a bowl of stew, and running to Jesus;
• in winning and losing, running to win, training for godliness, not gloating, pressing on, not bragging and doing it all in Jesus’ name;
• and in following Jesus, like Andrew the bringer, Thomas the honest questioner, John the Son of Thunder who learned to love, and Peter, who failed and was restored.

Don’t worry about anyone else’s path. Jesus is saying to you, right now, what He said to Peter: “You follow Me!”

A true story: Hudson Taylor was a young man from England who wanted to tell the people of China about Jesus. When he got there, he noticed that the missionaries dressed and lived like Englishmen, so the Chinese people saw them as strangers. So Hudson did something shocking. He put away his English clothes, dressed like the Chinese people and even grew his hair in a braid the way Chinese men did. Some of his friends laughed at him. But he didn’t care what others did. He followed Jesus in the way he believed God was calling him. He started a mission that sent hundreds of workers deep into China, trusting God alone to provide. You can read his whole story in Brave for God.

Think about it: Do you ever compare your life to someone else’s? What would it look like to focus on just following Jesus?

Try this: Every time you catch yourself comparing today, remind yourself of Jesus’ words: “You follow Me!”

Dear Jesus, I don’t want to worry about anyone else’s path. I just want to follow You. Help me be faithful in integrity, with screens, against temptation, in winning and losing, and in following You every day of my life. In Your name, Amen.