Comparisons
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
Who do you most want to be like? Who do you admire?
Who do you compare yourself to? Who do you think you’re better than? Who do you
think is better than you?
We are so busy trying to be like or be better than
others that we forget that we’re measuring ourselves by the wrong standard. As
Christians, our standard is Jesus. He’s the One we’re supposed to try and
emulate.
Yes. It’s an impossible standard. We are imperfect
people trying to become like someone who is perfect in every way. We are going
to fail, sometimes spectacularly, on the journey. But it’s still what we should
do.
We don’t want to do that. We’d much rather compare
ourselves to someone we can best. It makes us feel better about ourselves if we
think we’re better than someone else. What does that say about us?
Of course, it’s not all bad. Whenever I’m about to
delve into the realm of self-pity, I remind myself of how blessed I am. I can
easily look around and see hurt and pain, devastation and loss. It helps me
remember what’s important. It helps me see all the many ways I am blessed.
But comparison will steal our joy. It will cover us in
illusions. It will cause us to build a façade that has no foundation is
reality. It will remove us from the very real knowledge of what Jesus did for
us. Because it’s only in seeing ourselves as we really are that we understand
the sacrifice He made on the cross.
We like to think we’re better people than we really
are. That sounds harsh but sometimes the truth is harsh. We are sinners who
could never be reconciled to God on our own. We desperately need a Savior to
bridge the gap between who and what we are and a perfect God. Jesus died so
that we could live. How amazing is that?
He’s the standard, folks. When we don’t know whether
to love someone or not, look to Him and He’ll show you how to love someone who
seems unlovable. When we don’t feel like attending worship services or volunteering
or being kind, look to Jesus and He’ll show you what to do. That’s who guides
us. That’s who we should try to be like.
A sweet woman I know recently purchased a new vehicle.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. I chuckled to myself when I found
out. I knew that she would. Why? Because someone she knows had purchased a new
vehicle, and she always has to have what someone else gets. It’s sad.
Are we any different? We want what others have. We think
we deserve it. We convince ourselves that we’ve just got to have it. We “know”
it will make us happy. And, yet, it never does.
We’re so busy trying to be like everyone else,
comparing ourselves to everyone else, that we miss being the unique people God
has called us to be. We miss living like Jesus because we’re not even trying to
be like Him.
Who are you? Look to the cross. Understand the cost.
Reach for the standards of Jesus. You’ll fall short but, oh, how far you’ll go
when you’re reaching toward Him.
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