The Cool Kids

Who am I?

That is a question I have wrestled with a lot over my 36 years of life. In school, I was kind of a chameleon. I was always trying to fit in. I always wanted to be part of the cool crowd. But why? Who declared that those kids were the cool ones and why did I want to be one of them?

I never thought about the why until recently. I think I wanted to be like them because I didn’t know who I was. I knew who they were. Other people knew who they were. So, it made sense to want to be like them. It sounds silly now as I reflect on those years, but many of us, myself included, still struggle with who we really are.

There is a story in the Bible, in the book of John, that takes place after Jesus did the whole coming back to life thing. John retells an interaction that happened between Jesus and Peter. If you’re not familiar with Peter, that is OK.

Rewind.

All you need to know is that Peter was really good at jumping the gun. Earlier in the story, Peter swore he would never abandon Jesus. Peter spoke too soon because when things started to heat up and Jesus got arrested Peter peaced out with no hesitation.  Not only did he abandon Jesus, but he also denied he even knew Jesus. Not once. Not twice but thrice (Anyone else excited about Thrice’s new record coming out this fall?).

Fast forward.

Jesus dies. Spoiler alert. He comes back to life. After folding his bedsheets he made his way around town to see some of his friends. Then he cooked them some breakfast (John 21:15) Which all lead up to his little chat with Peter. I doubt Peter was looking forward to this conversation.

However, Jesus didn’t shame Peter for abandoning or denying him. He did the opposite. Jesus invited Peter to leave his old life that was self-focused. He invited Peter to follow him into a life of service that was other-focused. This act of grace moved Peter to affirm his love for Jesus as Jesus affirmed his love for Peter. Then Jesus gave Peter a glimpse of how the rest of his life was going to play out (John 21:15-19).

Imagine that. Jesus telling you how your life was going to play out. Imagine how many of our prayers would be answered if Jesus did this for us.

Please God, show me what to do next… what school I should apply to… what job I should take… who I will marry… all the big life stuff, right?

I wonder if my desire to be part of the cool crowd was an attempt to find the answers to these kinds of questions. The cool kids seemed to have life figured out. So, if I became one of them then maybe I would have figured out life too.

Back to Peter.

Peter actually got the answers to these questions, from the mouth of Jesus. You think he’d be content.

Remember, it’s Peter. So, of course not.

When Jesus had clued Peter in on his life’s trajectory Jesus said,

“Follow me.”

Then we read,

“Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them… When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’”

Peter, Peter, Peter.

You are so easily distracted.

Jesus, the man you had devoted your life to for three years…

The man who fed 5,000 people with a few fish and a few loaves of bread…

The man who died and then came back to life to cook you breakfast…

The man who forgave you for abandoning and denying him…

The man who gave you your job back after you peaced out…

The man who told you how the rest of your life was going to play out…

The man who just told you to follow him…

After all of this, you still have the gall to look at someone else and be concerned about what Jesus was going to do in that guy’s life?

Come on man. Stay focused on what is going on in your own life.

Here is the bad news. I am Peter. You are Peter. We are all Peter. We are all too concerned with what everyone else is doing. We are so concerned with what God seems to be doing in everyone else’s life that we are blind to what he is doing in our own lives.

Jesus’ response to Peter is awesome.

“What is it to you? You follow me!”

Dang, Jesus. It’s like John 6 all over again.

It’s like Jesus was confident in his plan for Peter’s life. All Peter needed to do was stay focused on Jesus.

Did you notice what distracted Peter from being present and in the moment with Jesus?

Peter turned.

Peter took his eyes off Jesus.

The second Peter turned from Jesus Peter became more concerned with the other guy than his own relationship with Jesus. 

I do this all the time.

I look at other pastors with bigger and what seem to be more successful churches and say, “But Jesus…” 

Jesus simply says, “What is it to you? You follow me!”

I look at other families on Facebook or Instagram or at church or in my neighborhood who seem to have this parenting thing down and think, “But Jesus…”

And Jesus simply says, “What is it to you? You follow me!”

I read about the saints who have gone before me who did great things for God, and I think, “But Jesus…”

Jesus simply says, “What is it to you? You follow me!”

Or… fill in the blank.

Jesus simply says, “What is it to you? You follow me!”

So, who am I?

After 36 years I am beginning to discover that the only way I can really answer that questions is by following Jesus.

I am easily distracted. I suffer from FOMO just like the next person. I want to be part of the cool kid group.

Here is the good news. The more time I spend with Jesus I notice that when my sight begins turning from Jesus to focus on someone else’s life, I sense Jesus saying, “What is it to you. Follow me!”

I don’t always like hearing those words. But the more I hear them the more I am starting to trust them.

I am still learning what it means to follow Jesus. It’s not easy. I mess it up every day, usually by 7:00 AM. Despite my failures, I am asking him to speak to me. I am trying to hear his voice. I am asking him to help me stay focused as I attempt to follow him into the ordinary places of my very average life. I hope you are too.

Grace and peace ‘til we rise in glory.

P.S. Here is some advice. Try not to go on Instagram, or Facebook or TikTok, or Myspace (if that is still a thing) after you read this. It probably won’t help you follow Jesus. Just sayin’.