Right now, if you think of your closest friends, who is the smartest? Prettiest? Trendiest? Loudest? Richest? Strongest? Do you find it funny that we know the answer to these questions? Deep down inside of us in our human condition is the need to compare. We love sizing up a room to know where we stand. When it comes to issues of morality, we are no different. Since the beginning of time we have been saying things like, “Well at least I’m not as promiscuous as her.” “Well at least my gossiping isn’t as bad as her alcohol habit.” “At least when I sin no one gets hurt.” Or maybe your inner critic says, “I’ll never have it as together as her. My sins are more disgusting than hers,” or, “I wish my sin was anything other than this.” The problem with comparing our righteousness to others comes when we realize we are using the wrong measuring stick.
Comparing Apples to Eternity
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
Watch Session Two: Why We're Broken
how we really measure
What if instead of comparing yourself to others, you tried to compare yourself to God? When we take our eyes off other broken people and place them onto the triune, we see how silly our comparisons were before. Imagine arguing with someone that you might have a millimeter of height on them and then realizing God’s height is higher than the heavens. Imagine trying to compare apples to oranges only to realize you were meant to compare apples to infinity. Do we even have words to quantify and qualify those comparisons? Our sin separates us completely from God, even if we think we have a leg up (or down) on our friends.
stop the lies; look to god
We can list so many reasons why comparison wrecks us. For starters, it robs us of joy, it causes us to commodify humans, it tempts us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought, and it makes us competitors when we are meant to be companions. But, more dangerously, the problem with comparison comes from demanding that we keep our eyes fixed on others and ourselves. Yet Scripture tells us no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). The longer we keep our eyes at earth level, the more destruction we tend to create. Instead, look to the heavens and ask yourself, “How do I measure up to his standard?” The gospel does not say that God comes to save us comparatively, in how we are doing compared to those around us. Instead, the gospel says every person needs total and perfect salvation to overcome our lack of righteousness.
Daily Question
In what areas of your life do you tend to compare yourself to others? How might God be trying to get you to fix your eyes on him instead?
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The area I find myself comparing most is in my parenting, specifically just being a mom. When I’m out in public with my girls, I find myself being more concerned with how they’re dressed, their behavior, and in turn then how well out together I am. I begin to play the story over in my head of how well I have it out together (or don’t). As with everyone, some days are really good and other days, I find myself shaming. But…oh there is a but…neither one of these actions are holy in anyway, nor are they pleasing to God. In choosing either of these mindsets, I’m robbing the joy out of just simply being a mom to two amazing girls. I’m missing the smiles, the giggles, and the words they are sharing with me. Instead of letting the enemy have control, I have to work to keep God in control and in turn bask in the glory of Him.
I don’t compare my self to others
I tend to compare my social status and my sin with others. I think I’m weird and that I’m a total broken failure compared to others around me.
I think that in some ways it is healthy to see my sin and brokenness for what it is, and to view myself as the worst sinner I know. This allows me to also see my deep need for a Savior. However, when I focus on just my sin and not my Savior, I forget the cross and I forget the fact that I am forgiven. This doesn’t honor God. God wants me to see my sin and bring it to Him, not stay there and wallow in it.
He wants me to stop focusing on what others think of me and focus instead on what He thinks of me.