What Peter Did

So what should we do about the things we don’t like but can’t do anything about?

We must not sinfully compare, but instead we must follow the Lord.

We must not look at others, but we must fix our eyes on Christ.

That’s what Peter did.

And he did it for thirty years—all the while knowing that “follow me” meant following Christ to a martyrs death.

Though Scripture does not record the date of Peter’s death, there is strong tradition that Peter suffered martyrdom at the hands of Emperor Nero around AD65.

If that is true, it means he lived three decades with this prediction of martyrdom hanging over him.

But Peter did not allow this to distract him from following his Lord. He knew “the worst” would happen—yet he did not wallow in self-pity or lash out in anger.

We know from later accounts in Scripture that Peter served the Lord for all of those thirty years, bearing fruit for the glory of God.

And that’s what we can do.

Because of God’s kindness that leads us to repentance, because of His Spirit at work within us to conform us to the image of Christ, because of His preserving grace which enables us to persevere--we can put away envy and follow Peter’s example as he followed Christ.