Comparison
There once was a writer named Mark Twain who was known for three things (not necessarily in this order):
Having an excellent mustache.
Being very funny.
Being very wise.
Here’s an example of one of the wise things he said:
“Comparison is the death of joy.”
What does that mean? Well, basically, one way to make sure you never really enjoy the life God has given you is to keep comparing yourself to other people.
But you know what? It’s really hard to not compare yourself to the people around you.
It’s really hard to see someone be better than you at the violin and not feel bad about how well you play. It’s really hard to see your friend easily get an A on every math test when you struggle to get a B.
It goes the other way, too.
It’s really hard to not feel smug when you keep your desk organized, but your neighbor has papers and pencils spilling out all over the place. It’s really hard to not rub it in when you’re on the soccer team that’s CRUSHING it.
No matter what the comparison looks like, it keeps us from really seeing how God made us and how God made the people in our lives. Remember: we are all made in God’s image. It says so in Genesis, right at the beginning of the Bible: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27, ESV)
Jesus had a friend named Peter who also had a hard time not comparing himself to others (look at John 21:20-25 for an example). But later on, after Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter tells us this: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace…” (1 Peter 4:10, ESV)
We shouldn’t be jealous when we see our friends use the gifts God has given them; we should celebrate. We should also celebrate the fact that we get to use our own God-given gifts right alongside our friends.
When you start to compare yourself to others—when you feel that jealousy or cockiness bubbling up, remember this:
God makes us so wonderfully different from each other on purpose! What’s more, we are being re-made every day through the love of Jesus. That looks different for everyone. God has us move through the world in our own ways, but he also wants us to move through the world together. To enjoy each other, to take care of each other, and to remind each other of all he has done and how much he loves us.
SAMPLE PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank you for all of the gifts you have given me. Thank you for all of the gifts you have given my friends. Help me not compare myself to others. Help me remember that through Jesus you are making me new. I pray all of this in his name. Amen.