For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16)
COMPARING OURSELVES TO ANYONE but Christ is a trap. Many of us fall into it regularly. You are likely familiar with the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” The truth is, grass is grass everywhere, and needs to be tended no matter where you find it. What we may see as “greener grass” can lead us away from the gratitude we should have for what God has given us today. The comparison trap can be a destructive downward spiral that envelops you in envy and leaves you empty. The comparison trap also invites us to ignore the issue of stewardship. When we look with longing at what others have, we quit tending, stewarding, and leveraging what God has given to us. The only comparison we should make in life is to Christ, which should lead us to humbly rejoice in what He has done for us.
If dare to compare ourselves to others, we will find disorder and every evil practice. The comparison trap does not produce what we are longing for. Instead, it robs us of what we already have and produces chaos and sin in our lives. Personally, I need this message today as I find that social media, the news, and interactions with others often cause me to long for something more. I must be reminded that the “more” I seek is found in Christ.
Avoid the comparison trap by thanking Christ for His gifts for you.
Brian D. Bennett is the pastor of Overflow Church and lives in Benton Harbor with his wife and three children. He is the author of Go Now and Be the Church.
© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.