Stay in Your Lane
This blog was written by Dave Smith
It was in the midst of my devotional reading one recent Monday morning that, as so often happens with the living Word, I was gently instructed by my precious Lord. I use the term gently facetiously in this case because the lesson hit me pretty hard. I don’t mean “sliding down a hill and running face-first into a giant pine tree,” hard, but maybe more like “hit in the head with a lumpy pillow at full swing during a pillow fight with your brothers who are ten years older than you,” hard. Not so hard that it made me reel spiritually for days, spending long hours at an altar of repentance, but hard enough to grab my attention unequivocally.
Dave Smith, Writer, Reader, Researcher
It was in the midst of my devotional reading one recent Monday morning that, as so often happens with the living Word, I was gently instructed by my precious Lord. I use the term gently facetiously in this case because the lesson hit me pretty hard. I don’t mean “sliding down a hill and running face-first into a giant pine tree,” hard, but maybe more like “hit in the head with a lumpy pillow at full swing during a pillow fight with your brothers who are ten years older than you,” hard. Not so hard that it made me reel spiritually for days, spending long hours at an altar of repentance, but hard enough to grab my attention unequivocally.
The passage I am talking about is located in John 21. This particular chapter is an eventful one, for sure, but what put the smack on my thought process is found toward the end. Pass by the powerful event of some sad fishermen returning to shore with empty nets, only to have Jesus tell them where to cast the nets to bring a haul of fish like never before. Continue to move by (no rubbernecking today), Jesus asking Peter if he loves Him three times, tells him “by what death he should glorify God,” then tells Peter to “Follow me.” That’s a lot of powerful, life-changing stuff I am asking you to move past, but we have arrived at the specific spot in the chapter that got me.
Peter notices John following along and asks Jesus, What about this guy? Jesus doesn’t miss one second, notching up the intensity of his discourse with Peter to a new level by telling him, “… If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.” (John 21:22 KJV). He told Peter to mind his own business, stay in his lane, and focus. Leave John to me, Peter. You worry about following me, as I told you. A good number of you who are reading this are likely shaking your heads, rolling your eyes, maybe even giving a mild “tut, tut,” at my slowness on the uptake. I get it, I do. But this spoke to me differently as a Sage ager.
Focus, Peter.
In the Sage years, you may find yourself with a slot of time in your day when you are uninterrupted. No email calling your name, plants or garden all watered and tended, prayer done, and Bible reading completed. Now you have a few hours that are virtually uncommitted and uninterupted in your day. I suggest focusing that time on following Jesus. And by focus, I mean lock in, dig deep, and go all in. For example, I know the Word tells me to share the Gospel message of salvation through repentance, baptism by immersion in Jesus’ name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in other tongues. I can spend this time focusing on precisely how He wants me to do that in this season of my life. How can I help minister in my local church? Several hours of deep, focused thought may help you figure out different ways to do it.
Jesus demonstrated this kind of deep connection to Peter before, but like the other disciples who went with Him to pray, Peter fell asleep. From now on, I am going to take the open hours I seem to have each day, times when I get restless and bored, and focus on what Jesus wants of me. Concentration with no distraction: The possibilities are vast!
When Jesus asked Peter to stay in his lane, He was telling him to focus his time on following where Jesus was leading him. God lays out the path (lane) for you to follow, created especially for you. Spend focused periods staying in the lane that’s just for you.