Following Jesus.....

I had planned on posting something else for this post.. i still may, but this one just happened, so let's go with it and see where it goes.

I love to read. Because this is so, I read a lot of different things. Some of what I read about is things that my pastoral friends are doing.
this afternoon found me doing just that. I clicked on a church's website to see what they were doing. they recently went through a pastoral change, and I wanted to see what "new things" were taking place.
as I read their bulletin, I saw some interesting things, and I immediately began to think "I can't do that!"  and for a brief moment-- or three-- I became upset.. upset that i wasn't able to "duplicate" what this person was doing...

My mind immediately flashed to John 21. Jesus had just reinstated Peter, and as Jesus told Peter to "follow Him", Peter immediately turns to John and asks "Lord, what about him?" (John 21:21, NIV)
Peter had taken his eyes off the Master and was looking at someone else... wondering about what that someone else, in this case, John, was going to do...
Jesus responded by saying: "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" (21:22) Then, without missing a beat, Jesus says: "You must follow me" (21:22, NIV)

This is what I need to learn. I'm not to get caught up in what someone else is doing-- I can be happy for what they are doing---- but it's my job to follow Jesus. It's my job to do what He tells me to do. Period.
I'm to keep my eyes on Jesus, not on someone else. Jesus is the One I'm to follow. If I follow Him, He will show me what I am to do. this is the promise of Psalm 32:8: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." (NIV)

If I keep my eyes on Jesus, and do what He wants me to do, then I will be fine. If I begin to look at what someone else is doing, and try to compete with them, then I'm sunk...

The same goes with you... Jesus wants you to follow Him. He'll lead you. Trust me... or Trust Jesus.