Dear Faith Family, 

And after saying this He said to him (Peter), Follow Me, (John 21:19). 

This is getting too easy.  The light turns green.  The car in front of you just sits there.  Or the driver next to you disregards the lines that define his lane.  Apparently, he isn’t bothered by those white, or yellow for that matter, lines meticulously painted on the asphalt beneath him.  Or breaks lock up, tires start squealing, and smoke fills the air.  The driver somehow misses that three thousand plus pound metal object with bright red lights stopped in the lane in front of her. 

What’s so easy about that?  Predictability.  It’s becoming too predictable.  People aren’t paying attention, at least not to what’s important.  Close observation might prove that something else has their attention! 

What’s the point?  It’s hard to follow what you you’re not seeing.  Seems people are looking in the wrong direction.  Not too long ago a friend of mine was following me home.  Somewhere on the route he saw another truck, similar to mine.  He followed that truck left when I turned right. 

Here’s the thing.  We tend to follow what has our attention.  Maybe it’s the circumstances at hand?  Maybe some good old fashioned peer pressure?  Maybe something that makes us feel good or important?  Let’s make it a bit more personal.  What has your attention?  No, I’m not talking about driving.  Are you looking at Jesus? 

When Jesus told Peter: “follow Me”, He was aware of Peter’s propensity to lose focus.  How quickly Peter gave his attention to something other than Jesus, Himself.  You know, like when he walked on the water, Matthew 14.  He was fine until “he saw the wind.”  It was at that very moment that Peter exited the “follow Me” highway, (thankfully Jesus regained his attention!). 

Even divided attention, we call it multitasking, isn’t safe.  Its danger is evident daily on the highway!  It isn’t that we ignore our daily, mundane responsibilities.  Instead, we need to learn how to focus on Jesus in everything, including the daily, mundane responsibilities.  Focus: talk to Him.  Acknowledge His presence all day every day.  Ask Him what He would have you do.  Listen to and apply His Word in every area of your life.  Look for what He is doing even in the mundane. 

I guess what it boils down to is this: if we’re going to follow Jesus, we need to be looking at Him.  We need to know what He is doing.  So, what’s He doing?  Eyes on Him.  Follow Him. 

Striving to follow Him, 
Pastor Karl