Comparisons

Originally posted Monday, August 3, 2009 at 12:39pm

Yesterday, during church, I was contemplating the origin of comparisons. Specifically, I was wondering where the decision to compare oneself with someone else began. You see, I find it hard to believe that the practice, when engaged in, can ever result in any good. If I compare myself to another and come to the belief that I am less capable in some respect to the other person, then I have denigrated myself, which is not healthy. If I compare myself to the other and come to the conclusion that I am more qualified, then I have built up my own pride and now think less of the other person because of their perceived inferiority. I could claim that I am equal to the other person, but truthfully how often are two people exactly alike in any respect?

Therefore, I conclude that we should do away with the poor habit of comparing ourselves to others. If Christians wish to come to some conclusion of who they are, rather than making a judgement of ourselves by trying to measure our abilities through comparing them to the skills of other people, we should instead accept the truths and promises about who we are that are made in the Bible. Through the realization and acceptance of these truths, we will find that we never need to make comparisons of ourselves with others. These truths are far more fulfulling to us than some vague comparisons we try to make with our own imperfect sense of judgement.

A list of these truths and the scripture that reveals them can be found here: http://www.ficm.org/whoiam.htm

Given these truths, as Christians, there is no need to make any sort of comparison between ourselves and others. With these realizations of who we are, to try to make comparisons is fruitless. In Christ, all of these truths are shared amongst our Christian brothers and sisters. Next to these, trying to determine whether or not we are better at something than someone else holds no meaning. So the next time you feel the urge to compare yourself to someone else in your attributes or the things that you have, stop and consider who you are in Christ and let the frivolous practice end along with the negative impact it will have on your viewpoint of yourself, others, or both.