Just Keep Swimming!

"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.'"

John 21:21-22

Easter is such a special time as I try to imagine what it must have been like for the disciples and women who followed Jesus.   This small band of followers loved Jesus and mourned his death, confused about what had happened to their Savior.  Then, without notice, his grave was empty and no one knew what happened to His body. . . that is, until He appeared to them.  

What a day of rejoicing that must have been!  To imagine the extreme of sorrowful grief that turned into a spirit of joyful celebration in a matter of a few short hours is beyond my realm of understanding.  They went from the bottom of a dark canyon to the top of the highest mountain within a few days' time.

When Jesus appeared, it was not simply to enjoy a reunion with those He loved.  Instead, He retained the purpose of teaching His sheep about His Kingdom and to prepare them for His ascension to heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God.   

It's easy to get caught up in the emotional experience of rejoicing in Jesus' resurrection, just as the disciples did.   If I don't pay attention, however, I will miss the message He is sending.

The Grass is Always Greener

Mowing the lawn was never a solitary event when I was growing up.  There was always a crowd of cows watching me do my job.  They knew the sound of that machine meant they were about to receive a treat of the tempting green grass that grew on the other side of the fence.  Our small herd of Beef were constantly trying to reach their necks under the fence to munch on a few tender blades of grass that grew just out of their reach.  The grass that didn't belong to them looked better than the same thing they could munch on in their own pasture.  

It's the same with me.  I am constantly comparing my gifts to others'.   I measure my life against my neighbors'.  I contrast the fruit in my life with the fruit in my sisters'.  

Peter struggled in a similar way.  Jesus had just given him a glimpse of the death he would suffer to bring glory to God.  Instead of keeping focused on the message Jesus had just delivered, he let his eyes wander to John who enjoyed an especially close relationship with Jesus.  Perhaps Peter felt jealousy creeping in, or maybe he experienced some insecurity compared to the beloved John, or it could be that he was simply curious about how the others would die.   

The answer that Jesus gave Peter reveals much. "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" (John 21:22) In other words, "Mind your own business!" 

The sovereign choice regarding the plan for my life, and everyone else's, belongs to my Savior.   My only job is to follow Jesus and keep my eyes on Him.  When I let my eyes stray, I am liable to long for gifts, talents or lifestyles that haven't been given to me, but belong to my neighbor. 

Jesus appeared to remind me to seek Him as my one and only source of contentment.

Pure Motives

Nineteenth-Century British Evangelical Anglican Minister Richard Cecil said, "To love to preach is one thing-- to love those to whom we preach is quite another."

I can easily get caught up in doing things I love to do.  Everyone loves the satisfaction that come from performing a treasured task.  But when I choose the things I do for the pleasure I gain from them, my motives are selfish.

If, however, I do the things I do out of obedience to God's calling on my life and out of a desire to please God by loving His people, those same tasks become fruitful and pleasing to God.  

King David gave some good advice to his son, Solomon, before he passed on the responsibility of leading the Kingdom of Israel.  He said, "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of you father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts." (1 Chronicles 28:9)

David knew how easy it is to mindlessly and heartlessly do things in God's name. If my motives are not pure and done with a selfless desire to obey God and spread His love to people, they won't count in God's book.  It's as if I didn't even do them.

That means I can't do things to try to earn God's love or favor.  Nor can I try to look good or to please others. Likewise, I often do things out of a sense of obligation or out of peer pressure, but these things are also done for the wrong reasons.

Instead my desire is to be purely out of love for God and His people, and that yearning can only come from God.

Jesus appeared to remind me to do things for Him with pure motives.

Follow Jesus

Dory, the dim-witted fish with the short memory in the 2003 movie Finding Nemo, gave her new friend Marlin some advice when he started to get discouraged about crossing the huge expanse of ocean in order to find his son.  She sang, "Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming."

I, too, am easily discouraged when faced with the obstacles found in my life.  But Jesus reminds me that I must follow Him.  As simple as this advice sounds, it is vital to my success as a disciple of Jesus.  If I am not "swimming" toward Him, I am drifting away from Him, and before long He will be out of sight.  Then, I will be living my life like someone who does not have the hope I find in Him.  

If, however, I continue to pursue Jesus as my goal, my life will take on new meaning as each interruption becomes a divine appointment.  Or every frustration reveals itself as a way to strengthen my faith.  It even could mean what I perceive as set-backs are actually vehicles to propel me even closer to Jesus.

Jesus appeared to remind me to keep following Him.

My emotions are still high from the celebration of Jesus' resurrection on Easter day.  He is alive!  Although it would be nice to stay on that mountaintop, I must remember the lessons Jesus taught as he appeared to those who loved Him.  He is my only source of contentment, it is to be my goal to please Him and Him alone, and that He is the One that I must keep following.  

Those are some of the things He left behind to help us keep on track until He returns again!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will keep focused on Jesus.

What kind of things tempt me to take my eyes off of Jesus?

How do I get distracted by wondering or worrying about the lives of those around me?