“Follow Me”

Over the years, I have heard many stories of missionaries leaving everything behind to follow God’s call to distant lands, to share the Gospel with lost people who have never heard. I often have the tendency to view these individuals, with their extraordinary faith, as—for lack of a better term—“super” Christians.

But I’m not sure that’s how God sees it. To the One who looks simply at the heart, the obedience to the call of God to live among and serve the lepers on the streets of Calcutta, is no greater than the obedience of a blue-collar worker who follows the call of God into their workplace day in and day out, shining the light of Christ with their coworkers.

What matters is that you know God’s call for your life, and you are obedient to it—whatever it may be, and whatever it requires.

In John 21, Jesus tells Peter what to expect in his future: he will be taken by force and put to death; in this unenviable end, he would glorify God. It was all part of His calling on Peter’s life. Then Jesus gives him the simple command: “Follow Me.”

Instead of looking forward, Peter looks around. Specifically, at John—the disciple who seemed to have an especially close relationship with Jesus. “What about this man?” he asks Jesus. Would he have a similar fate?

Jesus didn’t tell Peter what John’s call was. Instead, He says to Peter, “If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?” Why did it matter to Peter what John’s call was? What did that have to do with following his own call and being faithful to it?

Again, Jesus gave Peter the command: “You follow Me.”

As humans, we fall often into a comparison trap. We feel we have to have a “special” call to be important and useful to Kingdom work. But what’s important to God is not a role or a title, but rather a heart that is committed to each unique call in His perfect plan.

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).

“Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

—Tricia Kline