Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

John 21:22

I’ve been reading The Call by Os Guinness. It’s very good, and I recommend it. He wrote a chapter on envy that challenged me.

Guinness cites John 21:17-19:

Jesus said to him, “…Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” …And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Peter then sees John and asks, “Lord, what about this man?” (John 21:21).

When you consider what you have and what others have, do you ever ask God this question about others? Perhaps you’re not so bold as to question God about it. Do you grumble in your heart that you have less than others–less money, less beauty, less strength, less physical ability, less intelligence? Do you compare yourself to others in your field–art, writing, programming, fighting, teaching? Hear Jesus’ response to Peter: “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

Here is Guinness’s commentary on this verse: “When Jesus calls, he calls us one by one. Comparisons are idle, speculations about others a waste of time, and envy as silly as it is evil. We are each called individually, accountable to God alone, to please him alone, and eventually to be approved by him alone. If ever we are tempted to look around, compare notes, and use the progress of others to judge the success of our own calling, we wil hear what Peter heard: ‘What is that to you? Follow me!’” (p. 126–127)

Tags: book, calling, envy, jealousy, Jesus, Os Guinness, pride, vocation