Comparisons
John 21:21-22
When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?
You must follow me.”
Well it is that time of the year when men and college students are glued to their television sets. For the next few weeks we will be anxious to see which teams make it into the sweet sixteen, the elite eight and the final four. It is so exciting to see these college kids play their hearts out and battle to be the best team in the NCAA. It is really a lot of fun to compare and speculate and pull for a team, especially if they make it to the final game. It is filled with upsets and disappointments as hopes and dreams are dashed and possibly a Cinderella team comes from nowhere to beat a team that is ranked much higher. It is also a great time for some team to stay focused and win a title.
Comparison and speculation happen in our spiritual lives. It can be a slippery path on which to be because it lulls us into thinking that we do not measure up. We begin to think we are not worthy and not accomplishing anything of significance. We compare ourselves to others and feel insecure in that we are not accomplishing as much as a friend or another person. This happened in John 21, when Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me”, and Peter tried to divert the whole emphasis by asking Jesus to talk about John’s life (v21). Our focus should be on doing our best for the Lord and not comparing ourselves with someone else. It is not about how much or how many but about doing your best with what you have. God asked Moses to use the simple staff and it became the rod of God. The little lad only had his meager lunch to give to the Lord. Don’t look at the highly successful Christians; they are not looking at you. Pay attention to the game that God has you in right now. Serve the Lord in such a way to gain His attention and you will be in His final four. You will get the attention of ONE! He is the one who has called you into the so-called game.
- Realize that God is watching you.
- The task He has assigned to you matters. You must answer to God for your assignments in the Kingdom. Keep your eyes on your own paper.
- Your family is your major ministry. Family responsibilities take precedence over work, church and hobbies.
- What someone else is doing is not your responsibility except to pray for them to succeed in their God given assignment. Jealousy and covetousness are addressed many times in scripture.
- Obedience is the issue that we need to stay focused on. What has God asked of you? Are you doing it for His glory?
- The ultimate instant replay is coming one day when we stand before the Lord to give an account for everything we’ve done for His glory. We will be rewarded for our faithfulness in our individual situation (1 Corinthians 3:14; Matthew 16:27).
- Remember we are playing for an audience of one. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
In the life of the Church we are approaching the replay of the greatest event in history this month. It’s greater than the Super Bowl, Final Four, Orange Bowl, World Series all rolled into one: Resurrection Sunday. The resurrection of Christ is what gives us hope that our life is worth living, we can make a impact in this world, and the victory is already won! Hallelujah!
