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Do I Care Enough?

Last September I traveled with my family to Australia, my homeland, to take a much-needed vacation. My grandma, who still lives in Australia, and I have this tradition of going away for a week together, to spend time with each other and time alone with God.

One afternoon while I was reading my Bible, the last chapter of John really jumped out at me in a powerful way.

The passage describes something that took place a few weeks after Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus was sitting around a campfire, eating breakfast with Peter and some of the other disciples. After they finished eating, Jesus turned to Peter to ask him a question.

Jesus asked, "Peter, do you love me?"

Peter answered, "Yes, Jesus, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."

Then he again asked Peter, "Do you loveme?"

And once again, Peter said, "Yes."

"Then feed my lambs."

And one more time Jesus asked, "Peter, do you reallylove me?" By now, Peter must have been freaking out, thinking, Why would he ask me a third time? What have I done?

"Yes, Jesus, you know that I love you with all my heart."

And Jesus again said, "Feed my sheep." (Find the whole story in John 21:15-19.)

There is something incredibly powerful about Jesus repeating his question to Peter (and to us) three times. Remember when you were a kid and your mum would tell you to do something? The first time she'd say it, you'd kind of half-listen. She'd repeat it a second time, and you'd take a bit more notice. But the third time, she'd use your full name and you'd know she meant business!

That's the effect Jesus had when he asked Peter the same question again and again. And as I read that passage, I felt God's challenge to me, too. I felt God saying to me, "Rebecca, do you love me? Then feed my lambs."

I began to ask myself: Who are the people God is calling me to feed? Are they my family, my friends, or people who don't yet know Jesus? Am I being faithful by feeding the "sheep" Jesus has placed in my life? If not, how can I change that?

I really believe Jesus is calling each of us to take action and respond to his question. Do you love him? Then feed the sheep in yourlife—the lady in the grocery store, the person who lives down the street, an unsaved friend, someone in your family. Love them, care for them, pray for them, pray with them, study the Bible together—point them to Jesus. It's a daily responsibility and an urgent need.

Do you love him? Do you love him? Do you reallylove him?

Check out Rebecca's new devotional book,You're the Voice: 40 More Days with God, at a Christian bookstore near you.

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Lifemagazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail clmag@CampusLife.net.
July/August 1998, Vol. 57, No. 1, Page 64

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