And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15
“What about him,” asked Peter as he motioned to John (the disciple whom Jesus loved).
“What is it to you if I allow him to live until I return? Just follow me,” replied Jesus. (John 21)
At times we have an innate propensity to “concern” ourselves with someone else’s situation, especially if we feel they have an advantage over us. Peter even tried it with Jesus. The disciples surely must have questioned why it was that John seemed to be Jesus’ “favorite?” See a related Serminute entitled, “God’s Heartbeat” for an illustration of one such account.
Joshua on the other hand said it well when he stated, “as for me…” He left the choosing to the people. When it comes to committing, it would do us well to have an “As-For-Me” mentality. Yes, be prayerfully and genuinely concerned for your brother and sister, but when it comes to commitment, the only one you can truly vouch for is you. Paul admonished the Thessalonians not to be noisy…or nosy, saying, “study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.”
The next time you find yourself questioning the integrity, commitment, and loyalty of a fellow servant of God, be reminded of Jesus’ words, “What is it to you?”
“Serminutes” – Sermon in a Minute. A one minute spiritual pick-me-up for busy Christians! Visit this POST for details on what exactly that is. Thank you for visiting today! May the Lord richly bless you. Rodger Mangold