The Comparison Trap - The Wesleyan Church

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16)

Expanded Passage: James 3:16

Comparing ourselves to anyone but Christ is a trap that many of us fall into regularly. You are likely familiar with the saying, “The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.” The truth is, grass is grass everywhere, and needs care wherever you find it. What we may see as “greener grass” leads 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, it can cause us to quit caring, stewarding, and leveraging what God has given us. The only comparison we should be making in life is one that looks to Christ and humbly rejoices in what he has done for us.

James 3:16 is clear that if we dare to compare, 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—and that more is rarely Christ.

Avoid the comparison trap and rejoice in what Christ has given you.

Brian D. Bennett is an ordained minister in The Wesleyan Church and currently serves as lead pastor in Vero Beach, Florida. He has published with Wesleyan Publishing House.