“Jesus
said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to
you? You follow me!’”
John 21:22, ESV
“It’s
not fair!” my son bellowed. The injustice of his younger sibling staying up
past his bedtime while his didn’t budge was too much. It didn’t matter that the
reason his little brother got to bed later was to accommodate picking him up
from basketball practice. From his perspective, the only right course of action
was to receive the same outcome: an extended bedtime.
And
yet I could identify with my eight-year-old. Sometimes I, too, want to demand
God work in the same way He does in my life as He does a friend or someone on
social media. I could spend focused time in prayer and reading the Bible before
my kids woke up if my children slept until 7 a.m. instead of 5:30 a.m. Training
for a race would be attainable for me,
too, if my husband didn’t work long hours. Must be nice to have family live
nearby and not scramble for a babysitter.
But
the comparison trap is a dangerous place. My son and I aren’t the only ones who
struggled with taking our eyes off Jesus and placing them onto our situations. When
Jesus told Peter about what would happen to him in the future (John 21:18),
Peter’s first instinct was to notice John nearby and ask about his ministry
trajectory. But Jesus’ response made it clear that wasn’t Peter’s concern by
saying, “What is that to you?” (John 21:22).
At
the heart of Peter’s question was wondering if John got a better deal and
whether God was withholding good. But when we follow Jesus, there’s no business
class, first class, or economy class distinctions. We have been assigned a
specific role by God for our good and His glory. We don’t get to swamp seat assignments
because someone else’s looks nicer. We must trust the One who delegated it to
us in the first place and do as Jesus commanded Peter, “You follow me!” (John
21:22)
Circumstances will ebb and flow, but our Savior remains steadfast. The comparison trap will rob us of joy and gratitude, but turning our eyes to Jesus will keep us faithful to the path placed before us by God.
This devotional was originally published at The Round Farmhouse.