What is that to thee?

Having just finished a one-to-one with Jesus in which he is instructed to feed the lambs and sheep I would have thought that Peter would have been totally focussed on the task at hand. But no sooner had the Lord instructed him to follow Him, than he turns round and looks at the other disciples.
What makes him ask a question like '..and what shall this man do?'?

Perhaps Peter felt overwhelmed with his calling. Perhaps he sought assistance from his fellow disciples. Perhaps he would have felt more comfortable had the Lord suggested a helper such as John. Whatever was going through his mind the Lord answered him quite clearly.

'Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.'

There is a separation and loneliness in God's calls to service. How many missionaries have left families, homes and even countries to serve the Lord?
It is true that there can be a great sense of adventure when serving the Lord, but who is sufficient for these things? Keep in mind that it is not necessary for us to have a 'title' such as pastor or Missionary in order to serve our Lord.
In fact it may be that your Lord is calling you to a new task today. Are you looking back for man's assistance or are you following Jesus?

There are those in our churches whom we view as possessing great talents, and we think they are bound to serve the Lord in some capacity or other.
Some folk do seem abundantly blessed with gifts. It is easy to see other Christians as shining lights while at the same time viewing ourselves as useless.

It does not make sense for God to call me! It is impossible! I am simply not up to it. I do not have the faith nor the courage to go forward. In fact I am comfortable with my life just now. and I would hate to change it! What would my family think? What would my friends say?
Perhaps we would be more willing to serve the Lord if we had a partner to assist us in our task. We may think we need someone that we could confide in, lean upon - a person stronger than ourselves. Maybe I should ask others for their advice. But my Lord says, 'Follow thou me.'

There may be many times while serving the Lord that we feel overwhelmed and unable to carry on. The pressure of helping others while seeing our own weakness will floor us.
We think, "Let someone else do it. I have had enough! I simply do not have the talent for this work." Instead of a joyful experience our Christian lives become burdensome. Our flesh and hearts faint and fail us. We simply cannot go on!

Do I ask, "Where am I going wrong?" Well, I started out in faith, but now it seems that sight has taken over. I look within and see no future. I see a helpless wreck. I pray for help, guidance and strength, yet my prayers do not reach above the ceiling. Why would God listen to someone like me?

He says, 'Follow thou me.' He warns me not to follow my feelings, my fears, my shortcomings nor my failings. To follow someone we must look to them. It's time to look away from this body of death and to look to the One who is altogether lovely. He is my refuge and my strength, in straits a present aid. He is my help and my shield.

Peter was walking alongside the answer to all his prayers. He was walking beside the greatest Helper he could possibly imagine! In himself he found weakness and fear, while in Jesus he could find help, strength, support and power to match any occasion.

We may find ourselves separated from the comfort and consolation of others who in the past have proved supportive and willing to listen. Many a heartbroken widow learns to place her trust in a new Husband and many a tear is shed as the new relationship grows.

But sooner or later all our props will be removed. Some will be removed in tragic circumstances and in ways we least expect, yet a new strength will be nurtured and a closer bond is formed with our Elder Brother. He wants us to lean hard upon Him. His loving embrace and strong arms provide all the protection and help that we need.