Are you jealous of others who are working in Jesus’ name? Do you want to keep them from doing what they are doing? Do you want to out do them? Are you more concerned about how you feel than how Jesus feels? Are willing to set aside your feelings to be who Jesus wants you to be?
Jealousy is part of our culture. It seems to be in our DNA. Even small children often don’t want to share their toys. We are jealous of people who have nicer homes, fancier vehicles, and better jobs. We then carry it to performance. We want to do better than the other person.
The apostles had the same attitude. They were trying to stop people who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name, just because they weren’t following along with the apostles. Jesus tells them not to do that. He says they could not do work in His name and speak ill of Him. Jesus knew who they were and what they were doing. He knew their hearts just as He knew the apostles’ hearts.
We can get wrapped around someone doing something we think is out of line. Yet, the question we need to be asking ourselves is, are they doing it for Jesus? If they are, we need not worry about it. It may be different than we would do. It may be done in a different way. We are viewing it in the wrong way if we are only looking at it from our vantage point.
We only see dimly in our human experience. We don’t have the clarity of God who sees it all and knows everything. This is where our faith comes in. We must trust God to take care of those things that are out of our control. What someone else is doing for Jesus is not our concern. We are to be about doing what He has called us to do.
I pray we all stop worrying about what someone else is doing for Jesus. I pray we stop concerning ourselves with how they do it. I pray each one of us will focus on what Jesus has called us to do. Do not worry about others. Know there are many ways to serve Jesus. Focus on what you are called to do.
Mark 9:38-39 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.”
Marty Pressey 