How Humility Handles Our Tendency to Compare
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV)
The treadmill of comparing is tiring, uses lots of energy and gets us nowhere. God has not called us to compare our lives with others but rather to faithfully be the person He created us to be. When I compare myself to someone else I have set my sights way to low. If I must compare I should compare myself to Jesus. He never sinned and showed us how God wants us to live. That is not a comparison I want to make because I always end up on the low end. It really is not useful to compare yourself with others. As a preacher, I should not to compare myself with Billy Graham, Chuck Swindoll, Max Lucado or any of the local pastors. God does not expect me to be better than them but does expect me to be the best I can be. That means I can learn from others, but I must hone my skills and use what God has given me to the best of my ability.
The author said something that jumped off the page at me and struck a true chord in my heart. "Satan tempts us to take something good and compare the joy right out of it." (pg 271) How often do we do that? I meet with pastors quite often for lunch and fellowship. On one occasion we were talking about what we do at Halloween. They had an event at their church and were excited about the 60 children they had come out. I could see their joy fade when I shared about the 600 that come to our Fall Festival. The joy is that 660 children were reached that night not that one event was larger than the other. Comparing really does strain relationships.
When a person leaves our church to go to another do I rejoice that they have found a place to worship and serve or am I bitter and ask what that church has that we don't or do I bad mouth what they believe because we have the truth here. This comparison trap comes at our lives from all areas.
Can you imagine the freedom that would come to your life if we were to be content with who we are in Christ and lived that out to its fullest? Not compared to others but simply being all that God wants me to be. Comparing ourselves to others is being in slavery to an evil master. Paul said it this way, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
O God, let me live my life fully devoted to you and free from comparing it with others. Let me live in such a way that others will see Jesus in me and be drawn to Him. Amen
1 comment:
Amen, Amen and Amen!
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