Why, then, do we play the comparison game with such regular tendency, despite being guaranteed to lose?
Academic and podcaster Brene Brown describes comparison as “the crush of conformity from one side and competition from the other.”
She explains, “it’s trying to simultaneously fit in and stand out”.
Author Lisa Bevere, cautions, “Comparison will cause you to feel prideful or depressed, but never fulfilled”.
The Bible tells us that God does not play favourites.
You’re God’s favourite. I’m his favourite. God loves every person equally. We have no need for comparison.
“The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7).
A 21st century paraphrase of this Bible verse could read, “People judge you by your highlight reel, but the Lord sees your behind-the-scenes reality”.
God doesn’t rate us according to our ethnicity, gender, sexuality, financial or social status.
Jesus, on one occasion, watched as rich people dropped their gifts in the temple offering box.
Then a poor widow dropped in two small coins.
I wonder, had we been onlookers that day, would we have judged the givers according to the monetary size of their gift?
Jesus made a radically different observation.
“This poor widow has given more than all the rest.
“They have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she has given everything she has” (Luke 21:3-4).
Jesus has the ability, and the right, to justly judge and perfectly compare. This might seem daunting, as each of us, on our own merits, fall short of God’s glorious standard.
If we acknowledge our failure before him, however, he doesn’t condemn. Instead, God freely and graciously offers the solution - to make us right in his sight through Jesus.
Salvation. Restoration. Life. Now, that’s a gift beyond compare.
∼ Contributed by Pastor Lynette Kay of Ignite Life Church, on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.
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