NOTHING COMPARES TO THAT!

If you are anything like me, it is easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Especially in childhood, we tend to measure ourselves relative to our peer group. “Why am I so short?” “Why couldn’t I be as smart as them?” “Why don’t we have a car like them?” “Why is my hair so curly?” (or sparse, in my case). 

Some comparisons can prompt positive efforts toward an attainable goal. This can actually be a good thing! Observing excellence in others can motivate personal growth that God desires in our own lives. Sometimes I don't know what is missing in my own character until I see it in action in someone else. Even noticing the blessings others experience can help us reflect on our own unique blessings. 

More often, though, comparisons can expose our discontentment with how God uniquely created each of us. The Bible calls this envy. This week in chapel, long-time Church on the Hill Pastor Bruce Stefanik described envy as “a mingling of a desire for something with the resentment that another is enjoying it and you are not." To put it more plainly, envious thoughts often sound like this:
“I want what you have because I’m not content with what I have.”
“I want to be who you are because I’m not happy with who I am.”

The envy in King Saul’s heart toward David’s greater success led him to anger, fear, and separation from God and others. God had amazing, though different, plans for both Saul's and David’s lives. Yet Saul did not come to grips with the sovereignty of God, leaving him miserable and ineffective. 

When we allow God to capture our hearts and define our value and purpose, just as He created us, we find the antidote to envy. A mature disciple rejoices with God’s design for their lives, especially when it differs from their human desires. Wanting what others have, or wishing to be who others are, distrusts God’s divine sovereignty. When we rejoice in our strengths and weaknesses, we allow God’s power to take up residence in our lives. Nothing compares to that!