We’ve all heard of those moments where someone’s life flashes before their eyes. They get an unexpected diagnosis or providentially escape from what seems like a certain accident, and they realize that what they have been living for is not nearly as significant as what they should be living for. It’s in those moments that people began to count the costs of their decisions, to question whether their quest for temporal success and accolades are worth the sacrifices and compromises that they have made.
Christians, however, shouldn’t wait until those near-miss moments in order to consider whether their lives are focused on the right things, on the eternal things. As A.W. Tozer reminds us:
We who live in this nervous age would be wise to meditate on our lives and our days long and often before the face of God and on the edge of eternity. For we are made for eternity as surely as we are made for time, and as responsible moral beings we must deal with both.
In other words, as much as we are apt to spend considerable time and effort dealing with the cares and concerns of this present age, we should spend at least equal time contemplating our lives in light of God’s perspective. Our lives are one unexpected moment away from standing before our Creator. We would be wise to not only recognize that fact, but to make choices and decisions accordingly.
We live on the edge of eternity. The question is – do our calendars, cares, and character reflect that fact?
As the holiday shopping season approaches, so does the season of comparison. Parents try to ensure that none of their children feel that they somehow got “shorted” when they compare the gifts they received with what their bothers or sisters obtained. House decorating takes on competitive proportions as adornments are meticulously organized for both inside and outside our abodes. Parties and festivities are often just as much about who has been invited and what people wear as it is about celebrating the occasion. In a culture that often thrives on comparison, it is no wonder that the tendency to do so kicks into high gear during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
Of course, the temptation towards comparison isn’t just limited to the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are often quick to look at what we have and evaluate it in light of what someone else acquires or achieves. This inclination even occurs in our walk with God. We see the ministry that someone else has been called to and we desire it for ourselves. We see the gifts that another has been given and we wonder why we haven’t been given the same. We see how God is using our friend or family member in what we deem is enviable ways for His Kingdom and instead of rejoicing at how He is at work through them, we internally complain about why we haven’t been given the same opportunities and chances.
We aren’t alone in this temptation. Peter contended with the same struggle. After denying Jesus three times and returning to his old life of fishing, Jesus graciously appears to Peter and offers him restoration. Christ reminds Peter that he has been given a job (Mt. 16:18) – and that instead of abandoning the call on his life because of the mistake he made, Peter needs to get back to what Christ has called him to do (John 21:15-19). After this merciful restoration, one would think that Peter would plow forward, eagerly setting about to do the task set before him. However, before he does so, he turns around to look at someone else. He sees John and wonders what Jesus has planned for him (John 21:20-22). Instead of proceeding with what God had so clearly asked of him, Peter starts trying to determine what God may ask of another. He was first distracted from the work that God had called him to do by his sin, then he becomes distracted because he is busy making comparisons.
What Peter needed to do was get to work. He needed to move forward with the task that God had called him to do. Christ makes this clear in His response, lovingly reminding Peter that his obedience should not be dependent on someone else’s call. Instead, God had given him a purpose – he was to be the rock upon which Christ would build his church and it was on that he should focus, not on how or for what purpose God would use someone else.
In a similar way, we need to make sure that we aren’t spending our time making comparisons between what God has given to us and what He has given to another. Whether in regards to gifts, talents, ministry opportunities or anything else, it matters little what God has granted to someone else – what matters is what He has asked of us. We need to remain faithful to what He has set before us, being diligent in obedience and faithful to His call. He will orchestrate the work that He has given all His saints into accomplishing His purposes. Our job is to do the tasks we’ve been given (Eph. 2:10); we can leave the details and the management of the greater plan to Him.
Author’s Note – I realized after I had published this post that I had written a similar one in the past. For those that noticed the redundancy – my apologies. Sometimes it’s hard to keep everything straight, and sometimes God impresses the same lesson on your heart in a new way.
