Faith’s GPS: Following Jesus’ Coordinates
My son, (age 11) sometimes comes home with stories of how some classmates have acted in a way less befitting a Christian environment. To be clear, these stories do not compare to what an average adult may go through on any given day of life; but to a child, they are bothersome! I often find myself eager to get to the point of how he handled the situation. Did he join in on the “bad” or did he stand up for what was right? Did he have conflict, but do the right thing anyway? Did he follow what he knew to be a Christian value, or did he choose another path? As a father, I have concern for him navigating the complexities of personal interactions while staying true to his values.
As Peter was being restored by Jesus after Peter’s denials, and after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead; Peter was challenged by Jesus with the words, “Follow Me!”
When Peter saw his friend and fellow fisherman, John. Peter asked Jesus, “And what about this man?” Jesus responded to Peter, “John is not your concern. Your concern is you. You follow Me!” (John 21:19-22 paraphrased)
This conversation between Peter and Jesus is a good reminder for us. The question we could be asking is, “What are we to do?”
What does God want us to do?
This is a fundamental question that concerns every possible aspect of our lives. In any given responsibility, in any given circumstance, in any relationship, in any decision we make – What is it that God wants us to do?
The answer Jesus gave to Peter fits all our lives today. The answer is – Follow Me! Follow Jesus!
Follow Jesus at every turn in the road, every temptation, every fear!
Follow Jesus at every opportunity!
Follow Jesus in every circumstance!
Follow Jesus in every situation in life!
Follow Jesus in every decision!
As a Christian in a fallen world, we may find this difficult to do ALL the time. For my son, following Jesus might mean standing up for what he believes is right, even if it’s not the popular choice among his classmates. It could involve showing kindness and understanding to someone who believes differently while maintaining his own moral standard and compass.
What might following Jesus look like in your life today? When it comes to the specifics of ‘following Jesus’ it may look different for each of us. For Peter, his following looked different than John’s following. Both followed Jesus, but their paths were different. Their experiences were different. That’s why Jesus told Peter, “Don’t be concerned about John, be concerned about how you follow Me.” That’s a good challenge for our own lives.
May we all strive to have the correct coordinates to navigate life. May our following of Jesus be the sum and the substance of our every moment.
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