I Hold You Responsible

Monday Devotion

“Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them…When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’”

John 21:20-23

One of my best friends is a marriage and family therapist.  One summer our families took a vacation together.  When you do that, you see the good and the bad.

On one occasion, he saw the bad. He and I had been talking about a situation in my marriage in which I was struggling with an appropriate response.  My friend knew this issue had been simmering in my relationship with Lisa for some time, but now he saw it firsthand.

“So you see what I’m trying to deal with?” I asked him.

“I do.  But, buddy, I hold you responsible.”

My friend then helped me see how a weakness of my own had exacerbated the situation.  In fact, I think that’s why this issue bugged me so much—it regularly pointed out to me where I was falling short, and I resented that.