PSALM 130:3-4 – If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness that You may be feared.

THEME OF THE DAY. DON’T LOOK AROUND – LOOK UP. The story of Peter’s restoration to fellowship and ministry with the Lord is extremely encouraging and instructive. It occurs in John 21:15-19. It encourages us with the reminder that God doesn’t put us on a shelf with a label “Useless” because we fail Him. He is the God of not only second chances, but many chances. The passage is also instructive because it reveals that God will restore the broken. We do not need to fear rejection if we come to Jesus for restoration.

Yes, the story of Peter’s restoration is riveting and thrills the heart. Yet, something else occurs in this dialogue with Jesus. Something that is equally instructive and contains a warning. It occurs after Jesus gives Peter the words, “Follow me.” Here it is . . . “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:20-22). Do we see it? Peter does something that is so easy to do (we do it too), and will result in two things. First, rebuke from the Lord. Peter got that. Next, it will take our eyes off Jesus. When that occurs, we will become one of two things. Either a Pharisee who is filled with ugly bitterness, critical heart, and a judgmental spirit toward others. Or we will drift into a worldliness and lose all resemblance of being a follower of Christ. And what was it that Peter did? He looked at another person in a judging way, not an edifying and uplifting way. How do we know that? Jesus rebuked Him.

The lesson for us is to not be so concerned about other people, we get our eyes off our individual walks with the Lord. This isn’t unconcern in an unloving way. It is an unconcern about what they are doing or not doing, and evaluating their spirituality based on what we think it should be. Such looking around is easy to do and especially in the church. We might look at others with envy of where and how they get to serve and we don’t. We might look to others with the sin of coveting. Don’t go there. That Christian who we observe that seems to have it all figured out, doesn’t. That marriage that looks so perfect, isn’t. That family that appears to have always obedient children, doesn’t. To look around at others never produces anything of spiritual value and will only distance ourselves from the Lord. We are instructed “look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). It is by keeping our eyes on Him that enables us to then look at people, all people, with love and compassion; not judgment or envy.

Peter’s problem is also our problem. May the Lord help us to first look up before we begin looking around!

PRAYER: “Father, forgive me for the way too many times I look at other people, either judging or with envy.”

QUOTE: “Look to Jesus before we look to people. Get the order right, and love for people will rule our hearts”