Dangers of Comparison: Day 4


Day 4: Comparison can lead to insecurity or pride.

Today, we finish up our week on the dangers of comparison with two final dangers: insecurity and pride.  They are two extreme opposites, but both very real dangers that go against the type of attitude that God wants us to have.  God wants us to walk as His chosen people with a humble confidence.  There is a happy medium between insecurity and pride in which He desires for His children to walk.  The happy medium is in Christ.  We are to walk with a firm identity in Christ, knowing we are His.  And all our confidence should be in Him, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. 


Insecurity
Throughout scripture we can see that God desires for us to walk with humble confidence as Christians; but when we compare ourselves to others, the confidence part goes out the door and we are left drowning in a sea of insecurity.  When we compare, we tend to compare everyone else’s best qualities with our faults.  Not only is the comparison unnecessary, it is unfair.  In his newest book, Crash the Chatterbox, Steven Furtick says, “This is one of the main reasons we struggle with insecurity: we’re comparing our behind-the-scenes to everyone else’s highlight reel.”  He goes on to point out how social media has brought this habit to an all time high.  Oh how true that is!  My News Feed is flooded with the picture perfect moments of those around me while my own personal News Feed in my mind is reeling through every doubt, fear, mistake, and flaw I have ever had.  We have to stop the comparison and refocus our attention to the fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and each day we are being transformed into the image of Jesus.

Pride
We can either look at pride as the opposite of insecurity or as the antidote to it.  Instead of letting others see our insecurity in a certain area; we can sometimes try to cover it up with pride.  Nevertheless, when comparison leads to pride, it puts a road block between us and the way God wants us to love others.  The Bible tells us through a story in the gospels what Jesus would say to this kind of attitude.  Comparison and pride polluted the air while talk about who should be seated next to Jesus in Heaven circulated among the disciples.  In comparing themselves to their fellow disciples, some thought they should be the ones to sit at the right and left hands of Jesus in His glory.  Jesus replied by saying, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45) 
Now before we judge James and John here, let’s take a look at the log in our own eyes.  It’s not hard to fall into this kind of comparison and prideful attitude.  Especially in the work place it is easy to look at coworkers and say, “I am working harder than they are, doing more, doing better…so I deserve the blessing, more pay, the promotion, the boss’s attention, etc. “  May we all find it in ourselves to humble ourselves as servants.  Instead of comparing ourselves and becoming prideful, we should be reaching out our hands and helping those around us.
Father God, thank you for opening my eyes to how dangerous it is when I compare.  I want to live life abundantly with my eyes fixed on you.  Teach me to do that, Father.  Help me to keep my eyes on you.  And build in me a humble confidence.  May I humbly serve those around me with my confidence in you.  Continue to work in my heart, Lord.  Make me into the woman you want me to be.  I love you.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

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