Comparison Is Crushing Me

Read

John 21:21–22 "When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’”

Think

Comparison doesn’t knock on the front door—it sneaks in through your feed. You open your phone for a quick break and thirty seconds later, you’re spiraling. Their vacation looks perfect. Their marriage seems unshakable. Their platform is growing. Their kids smile in every photo. And somehow, without even realizing it, your peace got hijacked by someone else’s highlight reel. You weren’t even looking to feel insecure—but now here you are, questioning your calling, your pace, your parenting, your purpose.

It’s not just a social media problem. Comparison shows up in the break room, in ministry meetings, in friendships, in finances. It whispers: “You’re behind. You’re not enough. You’re overlooked.” And when it settles in, it starts reshaping your relationship with God too. His timing feels unfair. His provision feels inconsistent. His calling feels distant, delayed or not as shiny as the one he gave someone else. But the moment that kind of jealousy creeps in, we’re not actually wrestling with their story—we’re wrestling with our own trust in God’s goodness toward us.

That’s exactly what happens in John 21. After Jesus reinstates Peter—after his worst failure, no less—he gives him a clear and costly calling: “Feed my sheep.” But almost immediately, Peter turns to John and asks, “What about him?” It’s such a human moment. The ink is barely dry on Peter’s restoration, and he’s already glancing sideways. But Jesus doesn’t entertain it. He simply says, “What is that to you? You follow me.”

Jesus doesn’t rebuke Peter for being curious. He rebukes him for being distracted. The truth is comparison will always blur your vision. It shifts your focus from calling to competition, from gratitude to grumbling, from obedience to optics. And if you let it, it will drain the joy right out of your journey. Because the moment you start asking, “What about them?” you stop walking fully in what’s been given to you.

But here’s the good news: Jesus never asks you to live someone else’s life. He’s not grading you on someone else’s timeline. He’s not assigning value based on your visibility. He doesn’t need a copy of their obedience. He wants yours. The gifts you’ve been given, the battles you’ve walked through, the pace you’re keeping—that’s where his glory is meant to shine.

So when comparison hits, let that moment become a redirect. Not a spiral, but a signal. Get your eyes back on Jesus. Recalibrate your soul. Reclaim your lane. Because your value isn’t in being ahead of anyone. It’s in being attached to him.

Apply

Identify one environment—digital or physical—where comparison tends to flare up. Take a specific action to limit or eliminate it for 24 hours. That might mean muting a few accounts, skipping a meeting, or staying off certain apps. Not as a punishment—but as an intentional pause to reset your focus and recenter on Jesus.

Pray

Jesus, comparison keeps pulling my eyes off you. I confess that I’ve been distracted—measuring my life against someone else’s story. Teach me to trust that your plan for me is good, even when it looks different. Guard my heart from envy and redirect me when I stray. I want to follow you—not just in theory, but in pace, in posture, and in peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.