The problem of Comparison

I remember once hearing a quote that "comparison is a thief of joy".

What an interesting perspective that I must say I agree with. I wouldn't say that this blog is one of those let me tell you about a new lesson I've learned, it's more about letting Jessika voice her thoughts on an issue.

This past week in my class I have been doing the state mandated "Fitness Gram". It's a fitness test that requires us to do various tests to basically assess body composition and fitness of the students in the school. I tested every girl in our school and I saw this quote before my eyes. "Comparison is a thief of joy"

As I saw girls with various levels of fitness have reactions (mostly negative) to their bodies compared to others I thought about, us, Christians, people in general, society.

Almost everyday we are in situations where we have the opportunity to compare ourselves to someone else and I'd say for the majority of people we take that opportunity which results in a loss of happiness.

Here is where I see a problem. Comparing ourselves to another human simply causes more problems than good and is altogether unbiblical.

Take for instance Galatians 6:4
But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.

In other words just as Paul says in Corinthians... examine yourself...
2 Cor. 13:4-5
He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God…we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. EXAMINE YOURSELVES to see whether you are in the faith; TEST yourselves. Don’t you know, your own selves, how it is that Christ is in you [dwelling & living], unless of course, you fail the test?”

So we know that we should be examining... we should be comparing... but here is where we miss it...
We MUST COMPARE OURSELVES TO THE WORD OF GOD, and to THE WORD OF GOD ONLY!

If I compare myself to any other person I will get a distorted view of who I am and who I am supposed to be.
Let me just get real for one second.

If I compare myself to a particular person I know who is not saved and not living righteously then I will come out of that comparison thinking... "Well, I am doing pretty good here, I go to church, I read my Bible, I pray, pat on the back for Jessika I am one step ahead and doing real well."

Now if I compare myself to the likes of Mother Theresa, Corrie Ten Boom, or let's be realistic how about just this girl I heard a story about the other day. She is 23 (MY AGE!) who gave up everything to go to Africa and start an orphanage, she now mothers over 20 orphaned kids and spreads the love of Jesus to an entire village... well let's not think about how that makes me feel. Ok we can go there.
"Jessika you're lazy, you're content, you're in a comfort zone, you must have missed God because you're still in Liberty" or perhaps "why did God pick her to do that, why don't I have the gifting to do that" etc.

I could go on and on with comparisons we make that sound all pretty much the same basically... why am I not like him/her?

The Bible is clear on this. We are not to compare ourselves to others, we are to compare ourselves to the Scriptures only to see if we are in faith. We are to study scripture to show ourselves approved.

It's about being who God created you to be and not who He created someone else to be. It doesn't do us a lot of good when the body of Christ spends a lot of time wishing they were another member of the body of Christ. (1 Cor. 12)

That being said it is also productive to often examine our own hearts and actually COMPARE YOURSELF TO THE WORD OF GOD. This challenges us.

Many times I will hear stories of someone doing a great work for the Kingdom of God and it challenges me to step up. Testimonies are indeed meant to inspire and encourage us, but the truth of the matter is that the Word of God should be doing the same thing in our lives. READ ACTS! Read the Acts that were done, if that doesn't inspire you about what we should be doing here on earth, I'm not sure what will?!?

I rant because I see a problem. I see members of the body of Christ not playing their role because they're too busy comparing themselves to someone else. God created you with the giftings and talents that He wanted placed inside of you. Are we all who we want to be yet? NO, but this is life, there is a process of sanctification. Seek God, compare yourself to the Word, and play your part. We have too much work on earth to do to be moping about the role we play in it.

Be Blessed,
J. Tate