John 21:21–22
Seeing him, Peter said to Yeshua, “Lord, what about him?”Yeshua said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” (TLV)
There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from watching other women’s lives.
You can be steady in your own lane minding your own business and then, within minutes, start questioning everything because someone else’s life looks faster, bigger, further along.
Comparison rarely feels like envy… it feels responsible. Like you are simply evaluating where you stand.
But underneath it is the same question Peter asked.
What about her?
Jesus had just told Peter what his road would look like. It involved stretching, surrender. It was not designed for applause.
Peter immediately looks at John.
Lord, what about him?
Jesus didn’t give him a breakdown of John’s future. He did not offer reassurance through comparison. He redirected him.
What is that to you? You follow Me.
I remember when I was fairly new to blogging. I would scroll through other women’s platforms and feel that quiet ache in my chest. They were getting speaking engagements. Their websites were ranking on page one of Google. Their names seemed to be circulating in rooms I had never stepped into.
And I would wonder if I was missing something.
Was I less gifted?
Less strategic?
Less knowledgable?
Less called?
If I am honest, that feeling STILL tries to creep in sometimes.
And it can be debilitating! It can make you want to throw in the towel. It’s what comparison is meant to do!
But Scripture keeps pulling me back.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:12:
“For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding.” (TLV)
Comparison distorts clarity. It makes us evaluate calling through visibility.
Galatians 6:4 says:
“Rather let each one examine his own work. Then he will have pride in himself alone and not in comparison to anyone else.” (TLV)
That requires discipline. It requires staying in your lane long enough to see what God is actually building.
Psalm 139 reminds us that our days were written before one of them came to be. That includes timing. That includes growth. That includes obscurity.
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul describes the body with many parts. The hand is not the eye. The foot is not the ear. Different roles, same Spirit. When you start measuring yourself against someone else’s assignment, you forget you are part of something designed.
Hebrews 12:1 tells us to run with endurance the race set before us. Not the race set before her. The one set before us.
And Jesus’ words to Peter still stand.
What is that to you?
You follow Me.
Reflection
Where have I been measuring progress by visibility instead of obedience?
What would change if I believed my timeline was authored by God?
Am I running my race, or tracking someone else’s?
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About the Author
Diane Ferreira is a Jewish believer in Yeshua, a published author, speaker, seminary student, wife, and proud mom. She is the author of several books, including The Proverbs 31-ish Woman, which debuted as Amazon’s #1 New Release in Religious Humor, as well as Holy, Hormonal and Holding On.
She is currently pursuing her graduate degree in Jewish Studies in seminary, with her favorite topics being the early church and Biblical Hebrew. Diane writes and teaches from a unique perspective, bridging her Jewish heritage with vibrant faith in the Messiah to bring clarity, depth, and devotion to everyday believers.
When she’s not writing, studying, or teaching, you’ll find her curled up with a good book, crocheting something cozy, or playing her favorite video games.
Tree of Life (TLV) – Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version*. Copyright © 2014,2016 by the Tree of Life Bible Society. Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.