“As for you, follow me.”

Jesus gave many invitations during his earthly ministry, while also bringing challenging commands to those who would desire to be His disciples. Upon one of his first encounters with Jesus, Simon Peter is given an invitation and command from Jesus to “follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17). That invitation and command is for all who desire to come to Christ!

What’s interesting about Jesus’ final words to Simon Peter is that they’re similar to the first words He says. Peter had just denied knowing Christ three times, and Jesus forgave Him. Still, Peter finds himself looking at what Jesus will do in the lives of others rather than what he must do personally. As Jesus is talking to Peter, they see John, another disciple, and Peter asks Jesus what will come of John’s life. Hoping for an answer to that, Jesus makes a frank remark of what is truly important.

He tells Peter, “If I want him to remain alive until my return, what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.” What is Jesus showing Peter?

If He has John, Andrew, Matthew, or any other disciple die or live for His sake, that doesn’t affect what another should be doing. For we don’t follow any other earthly man. Our Leader is Jesus.

When we are worried and concerned, jealous or envious of others, full of comparison and rivalry in our hearts toward our brothers and sisters in Christ, is our focus truly on Jesus? It doesn’t matter what He has someone else doing. His invitation and command is to follow Him.

When it comes to life in ministry, it becomes very easy to start comparing what we are doing to what someone else is doing. And this comparison comes in a variety of ways: how many times someone else is sharing the Gospel, how many people someone is discipling, if someone is serving overseas, etc.

Whatever it may be, what is it to us whether someone is doing this or that? “As for you, follow Me.”

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International Commission equips and enables believers worldwide to conduct church-based evangelism projects to reach unbelievers and make disciples. You can find free resources to learn more about sharing Jesus with people in your own backyard and around the world at internationalcommission.org/training.

This article is submitted by Brooke Stewart of International Commission. International Commission is a Missio Nexus member.  Member organizations can provide content to the Missio Nexus website. See how by clicking here.