Rachel Whisman

“What is that to you? You, follow me!” -John 21:22

I can hear Jesus’ correction, “Stop looking at what other people are doing, comparing yourself to them. Return to me, and keep your gaze steady on me.” When I have become lazy, more slothful, and lax in my pursuit of Christ, I need this rebuke. When my affections for the Lord have grown cold, I see it in the decisions I have made by submitting myself to what others approve of rather than what the Lord deems good in His word (Philippians 4:8). I start making excuses with this or that. This rebuke is like a dump of cold, crisp, ice water to awaken me from my sleep, as well as a match to rekindle my love for the Lord. 

We see Paul imitate Christ in the same manner as he questions the Church of Galatia with, “You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from Him who calls you” (Galatians 5:7). Do you feel that? The sting and refreshment of honesty in the question, “Who hindered you?” What made you stop chasing fervently after the Lord? I hear his pastoral tone and care as he seeks to remind them that this is not who God has called them to be. He questions them, but also cheers them on in a couple of verses later by reminding them of their identity, “for you were called to freedom, brothers” (Galatians 5:13). Is that the reality that you live in, your freedom in Christ, or do you grieve it?

We follow Christ presently, continually, and eternally. He is our prize and joy. Jesus commands us to follow him, and with that same authority, He will help us in our hindrances and our need for endurance. His Spirit is what fuels us, and his word convicts us. Just as Jesus and Paul questioned others, so too question yourself through the lens of scripture with their questions. Prayerfully, reflect, confess, and continue pursuing Christ. This will help us run well as we “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfector of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” -Galatians 5:1