Dare NOT to Compare

We live in a culture where comparing ourselves to others is the norm.  I find myself sometimes thinking, "I could never measure up to her, she is a supermom" , or "I wish I got that many comments"....especially when I look on Pinterest, read blogs or check out facebook.  And the pity party starts.  At other times I find myself falling into the trap of saying "Can you believe so in so said ........?"  or "At least I didn't do that....."  And the self-righteousness creeps up.  I feel like it is a constant battle.  A line from the song Jesus Friend Sinners really resonated with me today: "Always looking around but never looking up, I'm so double minded."  I have been praying lately that the "helmet of salvation" (Eph 6:17) is covering my head and that Jesus himself will protect me from the trap of comparing myself to anyone.

"In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't."  Romans 12: 4-6 MSG


My desire is to be what God has made me to be.  I want to get my meaning from Jesus.  There is a reason He is called: The WAY, the TRUTH, the LIFE. (John 14:6)  When you find out who you are IN CHRIST you begin to experience life to the fullest.  I am not better or worse than anyone else.  The truth is that no matter what we do we can never measure up to God's standard of holiness...."For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" Romans 3:23  BUT, there was one person who did measure up: JESUS.  Thankfully it is not about what we do, but it is about what Jesus did for us! 


What did Jesus do?

He took on and took away my sin, so I could become his righteousness.  "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

He loved me, justified and freed me from my sins & guilt before I ever took notice of Him. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8

He gave me eternal life.  “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole, lasting and eternal life.”  John 3:16


I have realized my actions do not make me better than anyone or right before God, in fact it is written "When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6b  The only thing that justifies me before God is my belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God as my Savior.  I believe Jesus represents me before the Father, so when God looks at me, he sees Christ, I am now hidden in Christ (Col 3:3).  


A favorite quote of mine is "The devil wants you focused on yourself, God wants you focused on Jesus." -Joseph Prince.  God doesn't want me thinking I am not good enough or that my actions make me better than someone.  Instead of comparing myself to others, I want to look at Jesus and remember what He did and does for me.  He is my savior from my bad thoughts, my comparisons, my sin, my unrighteousness.  I believe He represents and intercedes for me every second of every day.  I believe, trust in and rely on Jesus Christ and He is who I want to look at, not other people.