The Guy I’m Jealous Of

I have a friend who seems to have all the luck. He gets floor seats to Laker games. He’s been on TV multiple times. People fly him all over the country just to hear what he has to say. He’s not really a public figure, but he’s treated like he is. It’s hard not to be a little bit jealous of the guy.

You could try attributing the good things in his life to a few things: his magnetic personality, his good looks, his talent and unique insight… You could name any combination of those things as the reason so many good things happen to him. But there are people just as magnetic, just as attractive, and just as talented who don’t see nearly the success he sees.

I’ve noticed something different in his life. Every single time I’ve hung out with the guy, he’s invested in me. The first time I met him; he reached out to me and bought me coffee. He asked me loads of questions about myself and didn’t ask for a single thing in return. In fact, he’s never asked anything of me.

The second time I got to hang out with him; he offered me a place to stay so I could attend a conference in his area. He drove me around and introduced me to all his friends. He only knew me for one hour, but he trusted that I wouldn’t murder him in his sleep.

The third time I hung out with him; he asked me to talk to his class at a local college. He gave me a chance to brag about everything I do. Then he paid me really well in exchange for my time.

Do you see what I’m getting at here? He invested in me—over and over again. I’ve seen that this is a big pattern in his life. He invests in almost everyone he meets.

The Apostle Paul describes my friend in 2 Corinthians:

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. (2 Corinthians 9:6 MSG)

My friend is the lavish planter. He’s investing seeds in the soil of people’s lives and seeing good things grow in return. The same rule that benefits the farmer benefits my friend.

The crazy thing is, he often reaps benefits from people he has never even met. But the principle of the farm in Scripture makes it clear that it doesn’t matter where we plant our seeds… Planting seeds returns a harvest—even if it comes from a completely unexpected and untilled field.