What’s That To You?
December 12, 2023
“Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind. When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?” Jesus said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you? You—follow me.”
A great indicator we’re drifting is when we begin to become overly interested in the status and positioning of someone else.
Not a genuine concern for other people. Not “how can I help?” But rather the use of someone else’s success or failure as a way of measuring where we’re at.
The reason why it can be so damaging is that it almost always will evoke emotions of envy. Envy is a feeling of resentment around someone else’s possessions, or qualities of good fortune.
“How come they’re catching all the breaks?”
“Wow… must be nice!”
“I wish I had that opportunity.”
And while thoughts and feelings like this surely bounce around the some 400 emotions we feel a day or the 60,000 thoughts we encounter per day, the innocence of these can only take us so far.
If we’re not careful - they end up becoming a pervasive attitude informing how we go through life. They end up being a lifestyle.
There’s an encounter recorded in John 21 around some of the world’s best leaders when they were young guys living as apprentices of Jesus. Peter found himself overly concerned with the status of John when it came to the installment of the Kingdom and their roles in that process moving forward.
He started his inquisitive line of questioning to Jesus, trying to glean some insights into what was in store for John. Leaning in, counterfeit curiosity, the type of questions and posture that reeks of insecurity and drifting. In reality Peter was trying to gauge the power rankings and if he would be ahead of John.
This is what it means to be overly interested in the status and positioning of someone else.
In his reply with one question and about 13 words, Jesus gives us an entire life framework on how to live On Purpose and flourish in life and leadership. With one high velocity question we’re given a drift detector for our own lives.
“If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you?”
“What’s that to you?”
We’ve got to keep our eyes on our own paper.
Envy and gratitude cannot be elicited simultaneously. Every moment we’re looking in envy at what someone else has we’re failing to steward what we have.
Their promotions have nothing to do with your own skill development.
Their bonus checks have nothing to do with how well you manage your own money.
Their new house has nothing to do with the provision God has provided in your own life.
Their successes have nothing to do with your own dreams.
Keep your eyes on your own paper.
When envy begins to rear its ugly head - let it be a “check engine light” that it is time to service the engine of your own soul.
Envy leads to languishing
Gratitude leads to flourishing.