In the past couple of weeks I’ve written two posts urging you to stop comparing yourself with others ( “Stop Comparing Yourself With Others God Doesn’t’ and “Be Unoffendable”) . The point of those posts was that God made each of us unique, and as such we have no reason to compare ourselves with anybody else.
Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
God created each of us for a purpose that He uniquely designed for each of us.
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT2)10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
We should not be concerned with what others are doing or not doing in their relationship with God.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. (emphasis mine).
We most often compare ourselves to others out of our insecurity. We want to make ourselves feel better. We compare ourselves with others because of our competitive or perfectionist nature. We want to be right, perfect, or just better than the other person. Our own insecurity often causes us to look for ways to feel superior.
Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT2)4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
What if we relied on God’s opinion of us before we had a chance to listen to our own, or others’ opinions? Be content with God’s evaluation of you.
Romans 4:24-25, 5:1-2, 8:1 (NLT2)24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. 1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
God created each of us for a purpose that He uniquely designed for each of us.
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT2)10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
We should not be concerned with what others are doing or not doing in their relationship with God.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. (emphasis mine).
We most often compare ourselves to others out of our insecurity. We want to make ourselves feel better. We compare ourselves with others because of our competitive or perfectionist nature. We want to be right, perfect, or just better than the other person. Our own insecurity often causes us to look for ways to feel superior.
Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT2)4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
What if we relied on God’s opinion of us before we had a chance to listen to our own, or others’ opinions? Be content with God’s evaluation of you.
Romans 4:24-25, 5:1-2, 8:1 (NLT2)24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. 1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Stop Comparing Yourself With Others...Be Content With You
When you’re content in your relationship with God you can resist the temptation of the enemy to compare yourself with others.
Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT2)11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (emphasis mine)
Learn to Be Content
By Rick Warren
1 Corinthians 4:7-8 MSG For who do you know that really knows you , knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle. Without bringing either Apollos or me into it, you’re sitting on top of the world—at least God’s world—and we’re right there, sitting alongside you! (emphasis mine)
Instead of focusing on what you don’t have and what didn’t happen, you can choose to be grateful for what you do have and what has happened. This doesn’t come naturally, not even for the apostle Paul, who said, “I have learned to be content.” Being content is a learning process.
It’s hard to admit we struggle with envy because it’s such an ugly emotion. When you’re envious of others, you really want them to fail, because it makes you feel better that they don’t have more than you. That’s pretty crazy, isn’t it? If we can learn to be grateful for what we have, we can begin to get rid of these feelings of envy.
It’s important to understand that envy is not about having a desire or a dream or a goal. It’s good to have those. Envy is not about looking forward to something or hoping that something can happen in your life or even wondering if you should have something. Instead, envy is resenting somebody who has already obtained what you desire or who has reached a goal you have yet to attain. Envy says you can’t be happy until you get that desire or reach that goal. Envy is not being grateful for what you already have
The Bible tells us that we already have more than we need and far more than we deserve. Every good thing in our lives is a gift from God, and it is up to him to decide when and how he blesses us. It’s up to us to choose to be grateful and make the most of what we’ve been given.
When you’re content in your relationship with God you can resist the temptation of the enemy to compare yourself with others.
Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT2)11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (emphasis mine)
Learn to Be Content
By Rick Warren
1 Corinthians 4:7-8 MSG For who do you know that really knows you , knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle. Without bringing either Apollos or me into it, you’re sitting on top of the world—at least God’s world—and we’re right there, sitting alongside you! (emphasis mine)
Instead of focusing on what you don’t have and what didn’t happen, you can choose to be grateful for what you do have and what has happened. This doesn’t come naturally, not even for the apostle Paul, who said, “I have learned to be content.” Being content is a learning process.
It’s hard to admit we struggle with envy because it’s such an ugly emotion. When you’re envious of others, you really want them to fail, because it makes you feel better that they don’t have more than you. That’s pretty crazy, isn’t it? If we can learn to be grateful for what we have, we can begin to get rid of these feelings of envy.
It’s important to understand that envy is not about having a desire or a dream or a goal. It’s good to have those. Envy is not about looking forward to something or hoping that something can happen in your life or even wondering if you should have something. Instead, envy is resenting somebody who has already obtained what you desire or who has reached a goal you have yet to attain. Envy says you can’t be happy until you get that desire or reach that goal. Envy is not being grateful for what you already have
The Bible tells us that we already have more than we need and far more than we deserve. Every good thing in our lives is a gift from God, and it is up to him to decide when and how he blesses us. It’s up to us to choose to be grateful and make the most of what we’ve been given.
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