At the end of the book of John, Jesus gave Peter instructions for how he was supposed to live the rest of his life, and he told him how he would die (John 21:15-19). When Peter saw John, he wondered what would happen to him. I love Jesus' reply: "What's it to you? You must follow me." I don't believe Jesus is telling Peter not to care about John. I think He was telling Peter that he needed to focus on the assignment Jesus had just given him.

We all have our own assignments from God, and they are individually unique. We don't need to get caught up in what other people are doing, and we definitely don't need to compare ourselves to others. We need to stay in our lanes. We need to focus on what God is asking us to do. We need to stay focused on our own personal race.

Prayer to consider today: Lord, don’t let me get caught up with the others in the lanes next to me or the fans in the stands. Help me keep my focus on what You’ve laid before me and the work You have called me to do.

Reflect: How easy is it for you to get caught up in the comparison game?

Challenge: When you get caught up in comparing yourself to someone else, whether it's sport-related, ministry-related or a personal concern, thank God for the talent He has given you, the mission field all around you and for creating you exactly the way He did.

Outreach Challenge : Share with someone what God has done for you. Do NOT use social media, but share with someone face-to-face.