Comparison is the thief of joy…

If you’ve been reading the blog for long, you’ve probably noticed that I think knowing the truth of who you are in Christ is pretty important. This past week has sent me right back to those truths – I needed a reminder that what makes me valuable is not what others think of me, or whether I succeed or fail, or what I look like (praise GOD my value isn’t based on my appearance!) Why do you think we so easily forget that we are valuable because we are HIS?

I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately… And I think one reason is that we want to measure our value by things we can see and feel and watch and touch. Trouble is, the only way we have to measure those things is by comparison.

-          I feel pretty if I’m prettier than her. Or I feel ugly because she is pretty.

-          I feel important if I am busier than the person next to me. Or I feel useless because someone else is so very useful.

-          I feel lonely because everyone else seems so well liked.

-          I feel unloved by God because He appears to have given someone else something that I want.

The main problem in my opinion, is that when we compare ourselves with others we are competing against them.

Women wear each other out with this – and it is SUCH a barrier in our relationships with one another. How can you trust, be open, and live in true fellowship with someone whom you’re (consciously or not) competing with? How can you rejoice with those who rejoice, when you’re jealous. What?? When did we start talking about jealousy? Well, I’m sorry to tell you the real truth behind comparison is jealousy. Or arrogance, take your pick.

Would you like to walk with me through a little truth?

I did a quick word study on the word “compare”, and boy did it explain the fruit of comparison in my life. One of the Hebrew words translated compare means to arrange or put in order. It is only translated (in the New American Standard at least) as compare a couple of times. The other times it is translated a variety of ways, including “arrange”, “array”, “battle lines”, “drew up in battle”, “marshaled”.

Oh friends. If we’re going to draw up in battle, let us not battle each other! There are battle lines that need to be drawn, but other women are not the enemy. We do have an enemy, and I believe he wants to pit us against each other. He certainly wants us to compare ourselves to each other – if only to distract us from the One and Only we should be comparing ourselves to!

“Compare” occurs 18 times in the New American Standard. Only once is it talking about comparing ourselves to each other:

2 Corinthians 10:12  For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

There is only one standard of measure:

Psalm 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Let’s ask the Lord to grow us into women who do not measure ourselves by ourselves, but who know the ONE who is beyond all comparison. And let’s remember that nothing this world holds – good or bad – is worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Let’s fight FOR each other and WITH each other, not against each other. Step One? Live out the truth of who we are in Christ.