Have you ever flipped through the channels and seen something that caught your eye? When I was working, one of my co-workers and I were watching a show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and I was shocked by how unhappy these people are. They are incredibly rich, they have everything money can buy, and yet they appear miserable. Money can’t buy happiness. Yet they are what the media holds up as the America’s “Royal Family”. Why? They have the things we want. Perfect bodies, beautiful faces, designer clothes, fast cars, mansions, the list goes on and on…
So often we re tempted to look around us and see how others are doing, what they have, what they’ve been given, how they look, and compare ourselves to them. I know am guilty of this. I believe we all are at one time or another. That’s why the Apostle Paul spent so much time talking about comparing ourselves to others. He wrote these words of wisdom to the Church in Galatia.
“Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others.” Galatians 6:4 CEV
I’ve noticed in my own life how Satan tries to steal my joy by getting me to compare myself to others or getting me to conform myself to the expectations of others. These are both deadly traps that will steal the joy that God has for me. Whether in ministry, at work or at home, we are not to compare ourselves to others and yet we find ourselves looking around to see what our neighbor has or is getting or is doing. It seems that we’re never happy or content with what we have or what we’ve been given.
There are reasons why God doesn’t want us to compare ourselves to others. He didn’t just say this arbitrarily. It’s for our own good and I’d like to look at a few of these reasons a little more closely in this blog over the next 2 days.
One reason is we are not to covet what others have. It’s one of the Ten Commandments. Seems like a no-brainer, really, doesn’t it? But all you have to do is turn on the TV and you’re inundated with advertisements telling you that not only do you need this, you deserve it! Everyone else has it! You’ll be a loser if you don’t get it, and all of a sudden, the thing that you DO have that worked fine up until you saw that commercial, is no longer good enough. I mean, sure, it works but, it’s not, that OTHER THING. That “other thing” is so AWESOME! Well, next thing you know, you go out and buy it. And you have it, and you’re happy with it, until the NEXT new thing comes out. It’s a vicious cycle. Before you know it, you get the credit card bill and you’re in debt. God does not want us to be in debt. Seems like this might be a problem with our whole country right now.
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5 NIV
“If you love money and wealth, you will never be satisfied with what you have.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 CEV
Another reason we shouldn’t compare ourselves with others, is that there will always be someone out there who is doing a better job than we are. If we are putting our value and worth as a person in how good we do our job then when someone does a better job than us we’ll be devastated. We’ll be discouraged. And what if we LOSE our job?
Conversely, when we find someone who doesn’t seem as effective as us at their job we’ll be puffed up with pride.
Our worth and value as people should come from the fact that Jesus Christ came to die for us. Not from how we perform. We are now a Chosen People and the Bride of Christ. That is where our worth comes from. Both of these attitudes will rob us of joy. Neither of these attitudes shows the love of Christ to a lost and dying world, and isn’t that what we’re called to do?
Today I’ve written to my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, however, if you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, today could be the day you meet Him. Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and He chose to die a sinner’s death on the cross for you and me. He is the Son of God and He loves you so much He died for you. Eternal life is a free gift that has already been purchased for you. All you have to do is accept it. For more information please visit this website http://www.knowjesus.com/
Tomorrow we’ll look at some more reasons why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. I hope you’ll join me.
So often we re tempted to look around us and see how others are doing, what they have, what they’ve been given, how they look, and compare ourselves to them. I know am guilty of this. I believe we all are at one time or another. That’s why the Apostle Paul spent so much time talking about comparing ourselves to others. He wrote these words of wisdom to the Church in Galatia.
“Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don't compare yourself with others.” Galatians 6:4 CEV
I’ve noticed in my own life how Satan tries to steal my joy by getting me to compare myself to others or getting me to conform myself to the expectations of others. These are both deadly traps that will steal the joy that God has for me. Whether in ministry, at work or at home, we are not to compare ourselves to others and yet we find ourselves looking around to see what our neighbor has or is getting or is doing. It seems that we’re never happy or content with what we have or what we’ve been given.
There are reasons why God doesn’t want us to compare ourselves to others. He didn’t just say this arbitrarily. It’s for our own good and I’d like to look at a few of these reasons a little more closely in this blog over the next 2 days.
One reason is we are not to covet what others have. It’s one of the Ten Commandments. Seems like a no-brainer, really, doesn’t it? But all you have to do is turn on the TV and you’re inundated with advertisements telling you that not only do you need this, you deserve it! Everyone else has it! You’ll be a loser if you don’t get it, and all of a sudden, the thing that you DO have that worked fine up until you saw that commercial, is no longer good enough. I mean, sure, it works but, it’s not, that OTHER THING. That “other thing” is so AWESOME! Well, next thing you know, you go out and buy it. And you have it, and you’re happy with it, until the NEXT new thing comes out. It’s a vicious cycle. Before you know it, you get the credit card bill and you’re in debt. God does not want us to be in debt. Seems like this might be a problem with our whole country right now.
“The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Proverbs 21:5 NIV
“If you love money and wealth, you will never be satisfied with what you have.” Ecclesiastes 5:10 CEV
Another reason we shouldn’t compare ourselves with others, is that there will always be someone out there who is doing a better job than we are. If we are putting our value and worth as a person in how good we do our job then when someone does a better job than us we’ll be devastated. We’ll be discouraged. And what if we LOSE our job?
Conversely, when we find someone who doesn’t seem as effective as us at their job we’ll be puffed up with pride.
Our worth and value as people should come from the fact that Jesus Christ came to die for us. Not from how we perform. We are now a Chosen People and the Bride of Christ. That is where our worth comes from. Both of these attitudes will rob us of joy. Neither of these attitudes shows the love of Christ to a lost and dying world, and isn’t that what we’re called to do?
Today I’ve written to my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, however, if you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, today could be the day you meet Him. Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and He chose to die a sinner’s death on the cross for you and me. He is the Son of God and He loves you so much He died for you. Eternal life is a free gift that has already been purchased for you. All you have to do is accept it. For more information please visit this website http://www.knowjesus.com/
Tomorrow we’ll look at some more reasons why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. I hope you’ll join me.
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