There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with aspiring to excellence. In fact, I believe the Bible teaches that God’s children should strive for excellence in all we do.
Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
- Colossians 3:22-24
This blog isn’t about aspirations; rather, it’s about perspective. We have a bad habit of narrowly viewing the best parts of others and then adopting them as our standard for success. That’s fine if, and only if, we’re willing to limit ourselves to one such exercise. Let me give you a perfect example…
Suppose you want to emulate the life of your favorite influencer on TikTok. Keep in mind that you only know what you see through media, namely a well-crafted avatar. Being a top social media influencer requires impeccable marketing, and one ingredient most aspiring influencers don’t see or fully understand- sacrifice.
If you were to learn of all the sacrifices social media influencers made in order to maintain their relevance, would you still want to pursue it? I doubt it. These people are stalked, threatened, attacked, insecure about their futures, struggling to remain relevant and fresh while aging, depressed, suicidal, mentally ill, etc. I’m not making this stuff up.
Sacrifice is implied with any form of success, whether it’s in sports, marriage, wealth, social media, or whatever. To be jealous of anyone who finds success is essentially a form of ignorance, mathematically speaking.
See, you cannot be the best at anything in this life without sacrificing some other aspect of your life. It’s impossible. Just do the math. If one person is willing to sacrifice everything to “make it” (including basic necessities like sleep) while their competition is trying to juggle a normal life, who do you think will come out on top? I’m betting it’s the person willing to sacrifice everything.
Now, if you’re jealous of someone else’s success, are they affected? Nope. Does jealousy bring you any closer to your own aspirations? Nope. Jealousy is an utter waste of time!
It’s much better to respect someone who has chosen to sacrifice in order to achieve their goals. If you’re not up to that same task, then cheer them on; however, don’t ever allow yourself to become jealous, for that’s cancerous. For the record, I’m not suggesting you encourage unhealthy lifestyles (there’s a balance implied in my comments, of course).
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11-18
Our great example is Jesus Christ. He was so focused and so successful that He has remained unique throughout all of human history. Can you imagine Jesus being jealous of Paul because Paul’s ministry was much broader, especially to the Gentiles, than His own while here on Earth? Can you imagine Jesus being distracted by the fact that He wasn’t the most popular preacher of His day?
Jealousy is satanic, which means there’s no place for it in the Body of Christ. You, yes you, have a very special purpose in your life, according to God, Himself. The exciting part is that you are truly unique.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.
If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”
On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
- 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
Jealousy is a waste of time. Aspire to be whom God desires you to be. Commit to your own calling. Be successful in a way that is unique to you. You are unique. Your life is unique. Jealousy is a rouse the kingdom of darkness depends on you clinging to so you are distracted from your calling! Stay focused, stay grateful for who you are, and glorify Christ in the life He has given you.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
- Romans 12:1-8
Ask yourself this one question the next time you find yourself jealous of someone else’s success. Are you jealous of their whole life, including the multitude of sacrifices they’ve made? That, my friend, is what you’d be taking on if you were to pursue their brand of success.
Success can never be viewed in a vacuum. It always comes at a cost. Remember this.
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
