Galatians 6:4 New English Translation (NET)
Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else.
I believe that one of the most difficult things a child of God has to deal with in his/her daily spiritual walk is comparison.
Let me first say that I am talking about someone who is actively trying to pursue God. I am not referring to those who try to know the bare minimum about the Word of God and His desires in their lives. There is a great distinction.
God has setup a wonderful plan in which we who desire to know Him can attain a level of relationship with Him that cannot be limited by others. Not to say that it cannot be limited. We often diminish God’s plan by putting our human limitations on what he requires of us. That limitation, though, cannot be placed on you by others (at least without your approval).
I often relate to Moses. He and I have both parted the Red Sea and led the Israelites out of Egypt. I think my feat was in a dream though……. All joking aside, He couldn’t speak and was greatly intimidated by God’s grand plan for him. I don’t think that Moses was necessarily shy or backward, I just think that he didn’t trust that he was capable of completing God’s task. Who hasn’t been there? (Again, talking about those who really want to work for God!) Sometimes I think that those feelings are perfectly reasonable. Of course, we have to continually remind ourselves that we are working for God and not man and that with God….All things are possible! Right?
The real problem here is just below the surface. We compare. Don’t we? I do.
I’ve tried to compare myself into every cookie cutter ministry I could find that might help me make sense of my own calling. I think that many of you have done the same. I have taken my list of pros and have tried to find another person with a similar set of skills and then maybe try to make sense of what I think God is asking of me. It never helps.
The problem is that God is a personal God who saves and calls on an individual level. We are the snowflakes of God’s spiritual kingdom. He doesn’t want two of us to be exactly alike! Each of our callings is unique and requires an extremely individual set of skills to accomplish. It took someone like Peter to reach the jewish “in” crowd and it took someone like Paul to reach the dirty Gentiles. It took Moses (with a unique understanding of Egypt and it’s customs, etc.) to face Pharoah and lead God’s people out, and it took someone as stubborn as Jonah to reach the hardheaded sinners of Nineveh. Lest I bore you, it takes you to do what God wants you to do.
Comparison is a killer. What we end up doing is seeing our own shortcomings and trying to measure our success by another’s standards. God never intended this.
Allow your pride to come from within as you feel after God for yourself and allow Him to measure you by His plan.
You are an individual, individually called by God, to reach a specific goal that only you can attain. God needs you….or someone just like you!
Bro. Andy