Yesterday I posted a confession of sorts. Last night Doodle spent the night at Grandma’s so this morning I had some “me” time. I really didn’t know what to do with it. I was stressing about all the stuff around the house that I could be working on, but I sat down with my Bible.
Not having a specific passage to read, I just let it fall open and read where ever my eyes landed. Here’s the verses I read:
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays you?”
21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
– John 21:20-25 (NKJV)
I have been acting like Peter. I’ve been looking at other people — at other ministries feeling like maybe Jesus loves them more than me. Like maybe they are more special because they are working in their ministries and bringing glory to God. Maybe they are worth more than I am. What crazy thoughts! The Bible clearly states that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) — not some, not most, not a few — but all have sinned. We are all equal. Only listening to Jesus, word for word, will help us grow in God’s will and love, but that doesn’t raise us any higher than anyone else.
Peter thought Jesus was saying that John was going to live forever — until Jesus came back for us. There were even rumors running around about that very thing. All because Peter didn’t listen closely. He missed a simple little word — “if”. We are so often caught up in what others are doing — at work, at church, at home. When we should be so focused on Jesus that we don’t miss the simple little words like if.
God confirmed in me that I’m at least headed in the right direction now — reading my Bible and writing what’s on my heart instead of worrying about who else is writing what. I pray you are not missing the point God is trying to make to you. You’ve got to listen closely. Don’t miss it.
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