“…Lord, and what shall this man do?” John 21:21
A little jealous there, Peter? Just a little? What does it matter where your brother John would go, what the Lord would have for him to do, or what kind of a price he would have to pay for the Kingdom of God’s sake?
Peter had just been given a commission and a glimpse at what he would go through. What higher calling could there be than to feed the sheep of God? What a tremendous responsibility had just been dropped on him!
Here they were, a dozen guys who had come out of nowhere, and it was given to them to carry the Gospel, the only Truth there is, to the rest of the entire world. They had walked with the Master for a few short years, and the Lord had commissioned them to the greatest calling of all time.
“Feed my sheep”. Wow. From a dumb fisherman to this incredible responsibility. But there is always a price to pay for that kind of calling, and Peter was told in no uncertain terms what that price would be like. But what an honor to be chosen by God himself to shoulder this calling!
But, Lord, what about this guy over here? Does he get to scoop up all the easy stuff and still get to be so close to you? How does that work? Surely, if I have to step up into this great commission and pay the price that will be required of me, then I must be called to a stronger, more powerful ministry than him.
Wrong, Peter. First of all, you have no idea what price your brother John will have to pay. You may find out that you got off easy in comparison to what John the Revelator would be called upon to suffer for the Kingdom of God. You’ll be crusin’ in Heaven when he’s dropped off on an island of despair.
Second, what difference does it really make? So what if you get the fuzzy end of the lollipop? Does it really matter? The ultimate object is not what your position in God is and how you rank in the army. The ultimate objective is the salvation of those souls out there who do not know the Truth.
If you’re more concerned with what your place in God is, forget it. You don’t have one. But if you’re more concerned with others and what their place in God is, then don’t sweat it. You’ve got one that is far greater than the one you were expecting – or even cared about.
It’s not about you – never was; never will be. It’s about others. Jesus Christ was Charity incarnate. Charity, correctly defined, is the giving of oneself out of love, to see souls get saved. Everything you do; everything you aspire to; all your efforts in this life should fit into that description. If it does, then you won’t care what someone else’s walk in God is.
We are all pieces on God’s chessboard, and He is the Grand Chessmaster. The object is to win the game.
“…and the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Corinthians 13
Brother Dale