Scripture Focus
“Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them…
So 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.’”
— John 21:20–22 (ESV)
Devotional
Comparison rarely announces itself loudly.
It slips in quietly—usually when you’re already vulnerable. When you’re tired. When progress feels slow. When you start noticing how others seem to be doing just a little better, a little faster, a little more confidently than you.
In healthcare training, comparison is almost unavoidable. Scores are posted. Honors are discussed. Study methods are shared. Timelines are visible. And before you realize it, your attention shifts from what God has asked of you to what He appears to be doing in someone else.
Peter knew this tension well.
Moments after Jesus restored him—after failure, denial, and grace—Peter turned and looked at another disciple and asked, “What about him?” It’s striking how quickly comparison can surface, even after an encounter with Jesus.
Jesus’ response is firm but gentle:
“What is that to you? You follow Me.”
It’s not a rebuke meant to shame.
It’s a redirection meant to protect.
Comparison distracts us from obedience. It pulls our eyes off the specific path God has laid before us and entangles us in questions that were never ours to carry. When we fixate on someone else’s pace, performance, or outcome, we begin to drift from our own calling.
For the healthcare student, comparison can sound like this:
They understand this material faster than I do.
They’re handling this season better than I am.
Why does their journey look smoother than mine?
But Jesus does not call you to manage someone else’s path. He calls you to faithfulness in your own.
Your training.
Your timeline.
Your strengths and limits.
Your growth process.
Following Jesus means learning to resist the urge to measure your life against someone else’s progress. It means trusting that God’s work in you is intentional—even when it looks different.
Application
Today, notice where your attention has been drifting.
Who or what have you been comparing yourself to?
How has comparison affected your peace or confidence?
What would it look like to bring your focus back to Jesus’ invitation to follow Him—right where you are?
Comparison will always pull you sideways. Jesus calls you forward.
Prayer
Jesus, I confess that I often look sideways instead of forward.
I measure myself against others and allow comparison to steal my peace.
Help me release what is not mine to carry.
Refocus my heart on the path You have set before me.
Teach me to trust You with my journey, my pace, and my process.
I choose to follow You—not in comparison, but in obedience.
Amen.
Final Reflection
Jesus does not ask you to keep up with anyone else.
He asks you one thing:
“Follow Me.”
And that is enough.