John 21:21-22 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

We who write like to think that our words inspire others. We search for the right words to relate to our audience with all good intention. Some are very persuasive with stir up deep emotions and people respond positively to what they write.

Over the years I have witnessed various tactics used to move people to act. Some are inspired and sadly some are manipulative. Guilt has always been a part of Christian life but it isn’t to be used to cause people to act. I will admit there is room for service in all churches. No one person should be burdened with role of being a lone server in any ministry. But guilt is the wrong motive for service.

Peter’s words make me wonder what was going on in his heart and what might have caused him to ask “Well what about John? You are asking me to do all this but you have asked John to be your mother’s son.” Granted I am making up a conversation that did not exist except in my mind, but in my mind I see how I might act. That is relating to the story telling.

Put yourself in Peter’s shoes. How would you respond to be given a great responsibility? Would you respond like Moses, “I am not worthy.” Would you respond like Gideon, “I am not able.” Would you respond like Isaiah, “I will.”

In that same way when a brother or sister in the Lord makes a comment can you put yourself in their shoes? The most difficult one for me is “I wish I had your faith.” I hate it when people look at what I do and think less of themselves. I do not want that for them. There is no good answer that I have found. “Just do as the Lord asks, it is all any of us can do.”

“But Jesus hasn’t asked me to do anything.”

Yes, that was what Peter thought about John but 70 years later John wrote the Gospel of John, 3 epistles and the book of Revelations.

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

I got my laptop back. Everything is as it was, all except me perhaps. I confessed my own personal fears yesterday. I admitted that I didn’t have my normal tools to lean on and that I had to trust in the Holy Spirit to lead me. As you might know, the Holy Spirit also speaks thru others.

I talked to my wife and sister about my phobia and the cataracts. Both love me but came at me in different ways. Both supportive, both loving, both looking into my fears and trying to calm them.

I also talked to two dear brothers in the Lord. They too tried to help, each in his own way. The offer to do anything to help, first in prayer and then in deed was offered. A different approach but with the same earnest love and consideration.

I have to admit that talking about issue helped. We go to the Lord in prayer and sometimes we do not hear what we want. That is just a fact. His speaking thru others often is difficult to understand because they use their own words and not His, but He spoke to me thru all of them in love.

I chose this verse today for one and only one reason, submission. It is something many of us have problems with, but if we truly want help, then you have to ask. Did any of them have the answer? No. It wasn’t about getting the answer, it was about being supported in love. I know the truth, I’ve known all along what the Lord would have me do.

John 5:4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

Knowing and seeing the stirring, I had to make the first step and it had to be my effort, not theirs. So I called a surgeon and made an appointment. A calm settled over me afterwards.

Knowing truth is not the same as doing truth.