Good Success Day #11: The Custom Track
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them… When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” — John 21:20-22 (NIV)
THE JOURNEY
Chloe opened a boutique floral design studio in her mid-twenties. For the first two years, she was in absolute heaven. She loved her clients, her business was turning a healthy 20% profit margin, and she had the flexibility to spend weekends with her aging parents. By her own definition, she was living a wildly successful life.
Then, she discovered the Instagram account of another floral designer across the country.
This other designer had started at the exact same time as Chloe, but she had just secured a reality TV contract, boasted half a million followers, and was franchising her brand.
Overnight, Chloe’s 20% profit margin felt like a failure. Her beautiful, quiet life suddenly felt embarrassingly small. The joy evaporated from her studio. Driven by a new, frantic anxiety, Chloe changed her business model. She took out a massive loan to open a second location she didn’t actually want, trying to keep pace with a woman she had never even met.
The stress of the expansion crushed her. She lost her weekend flexibility, her quality control plummeted, and she began resenting the very flowers she used to love.
Chloe didn’t lose her joy because her business failed. She almost lost her business because she started running someone else’s race. She had Good Success, but she traded it away the moment she looked sideways.
Heart of the Matter
Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” But spiritually speaking, comparison is worse than a thief—it is a hijacker. It doesn’t just steal your happiness; it steals your assignment.
The world’s definition of success is entirely relative. The world says you are only successful if your car is newer than your neighbor’s, your title is higher than your peer’s, or your bank account is larger than your sibling’s.
But God’s definition of success is absolute and highly customized. In John 21, Jesus gives Peter a very difficult prophecy about his future. Peter immediately turns, points at the Apostle John, and essentially asks, “Well, what is his metric going to be? Is he going to have a better outcome than me?”
Jesus’ response is lovingly blunt: “What is that to you? You must follow me.”
Just as runners on a curved track have staggered starting blocks to ensure everyone runs the exact same distance, God staggers our starting lines, resources, and seasons. Comparing your position to someone in another lane ignores the geometry of the track.
Here is the dynamic of customized Good Success: You love God by keeping your eyes in your own lane. You trust that the Architect of your life knows exactly what capacity you have. You stop evaluating your “Chapter 3” against someone else’s “Chapter 20.” He loves you back by freeing you from the exhaustion of competition. God does not grade on a curve. He will not judge your success by what the CEO next door accomplished; He will measure your success by what you did with the specific talents, time, and assignment He handed you. When you accept your custom track, you get your joy back.
Faith in Action
Comparison is fed by what we consume. If you are constantly staring at someone else’s lane, you will naturally drift into it.
The Challenge: Identify the primary source of comparison in your life right now.
- Is it a specific person on LinkedIn who makes you feel behind in your career?
- Is it a lifestyle influencer on Instagram who makes you resent your home?
The Action: Today, use the mute or unfollow button. Muting them is not an act of hate toward them; it is an act of protection for your own soul. Reclaim your focus. Write down three things you are deeply grateful for in your specific lane today.
Prayer for the Day
Lord, I confess that I spend too much time looking sideways. I have let the highlight reels of other people make me ungrateful for the beautiful life You have given me. Forgive me for doubting Your goodness and for trying to run a race You never assigned to me. Today, I put my blinders on. What You do with others is Your business; my business is to follow You. Give me the grace to celebrate others’ victories without questioning my own worth. Help me to steward my custom track with joy. Amen.
SUCCESS Note
“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” — Zen Proverb