Following Orders - The Warrior's Journey®

Virginia Guard chaplain support teams support military personnel in Louisiana. Photo by Coast Guard is licensed under CC By 2.0

Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:22)

Good soldiers follow orders. They follow orders because it is part of military order and discipline, and because they trust their leaders. But even the best soldiers struggle when they don’t understand the rationale behind the orders or they believe the orders are unjust. Now here is the challenging part. Sometimes leaders are able to share the bigger picture and explain the “why” behind the orders. But other times, they are not. In these cases, the followers must simply trust the judgment of their leaders.

This verse contains Jesus’ response to Peter when Peter felt that God was showing preferential treatment toward another disciple — John. Did Jesus apologize? No! In direct language Jesus told Peter not to worry about John, but simply to obey His order: “Follow me!” Peter obeyed. It was a smart move on his part. Are you arguing with God, or have you decided to obey His order? Jesus said, “Follow me.”


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