Growing up as an only child, I didn’t have anyone comparing me. I never heard, “Why can’t you be more like your brother?” or “Your older sister wouldn’t do that.” Nevertheless, through some birth-order anomaly, I became super competitive.
I was constantly comparing myself to others. They had better grades than me or a nicer car. They had more Pokemon Cards or a bigger Power Ranger collection. I was never content when I was looking at what others had or what they were accomplishing.
What’s the solution to unhealthy competition, discontentment, and all-around disappointment? Don’t compare yourself to others. If we don’t have a standard of other people to compare ourselves to, how can we know when we fail? Why would we be disappointed with what we own if we weren’t comparing to what others have?
There’s not a single person on this planet we should be comparing ourselves to. They have their own problems, their own faults, their own issues and their own debt (whether you can see it all or not). Comparison is what robs us of our joy (Thanks for that quote, Sara Potter).
Not only does it make us unhappy, but it doesn’t make sense. Comparing ourselves is like comparing apples to oranges. We all come from different backgrounds, situations, and circumstances. We are all completely unique. We’re all different, so what is there to compare?
For Christians, the only thing we should be comparing ourselves to is our Heavenly Father. We shouldn’t say, “I think I show more love than that guy does, and he claims to be a Christian.” Our faith isn’t a competition. It’s a relationship about pursuing a life that mirrors the one Jesus Christ lived on this Earth.
As Paul said to the Corinthians, “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) Those who compare themselves against each other are not wise–they are fools. I pity the fool who compares.
We shouldn’t compare ourselves to each other because it makes us foolish, but we also shouldn’t compare ourselves to one another because God, who knows everyone, doesn’t do that. Jean Potter sent me this quote this morning, and it’s dead on.
Just think, you’re here not by chance, but by God’s choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else –you are one of a kind. You lack nothing that His grace can’t give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill His special purpose for this generation. –Roy Lessin
You (yes, you!) are one of a kind. You’ve been given your own gifts, talents, and blessings because that was God’s plan all along. If the Creator of this universe isn’t comparing you to over 6 billion other people, don’t you think you should refrain from the compare game?
Don’t compare yourselves to others. Compare yourself to Christ. Compare yourself to the plan God has for your life. Live out the perfect purpose for your own life, not the blueprint of someone else’s.