After the resurrection, Jesus spent time with many of His followers. In a specific encounter with Peter (John 21), Jesus asked Peter a series of questions then told him what he was to do. Immediately following this, Peter asked a question that we tend to ask too! BUT WHAT ABOUT HIM?
John 21:20-23 states: Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21 Peter therefore seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
If you were having a personal conversation with the Son of God and He had just told you what He wanted you to do with your life – would you ask that kind of question? Maybe not at that moment, but don’t we tend to do that at times. We look around and see God blessing or using other people in other places and wonder why we’re not in the same place they’re in.
I believe one of the biggest distractions in ministry is that of comparing ourselves to others – or in some cases judging them. Both are wrong. Jesus very pointedly told Peter – quit worrying about what I ask someone else to do – YOU CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I’VE CALLED YOU TO DO!
When I was taking my motorcycle safety course, we learned that the bike tends to go in the direction we are looking. In life, we tend to do the same thing – and for those of us who are followers of Chrsit, we need to have a forward focus on the One who saved us and called us into action and quit spending our time glancing to the left or right looking/judging/envying/questioning what others are called to do. Jesus said – quit worrying about everyone else and simply do what I’ve called you to do!
Maybe it’s time to take the “but what about him” our of our vocabulary.