Competing & Comparing
Do you ever get exhausted from feeling like you are always competing and comparing with people around you? Whether this comes from your own insecurities, or is due to habits formed from your childhood, everyone experiences this at one time or another. For instance, you may connect the source of people’s successes to having more money, better looks, more intellect, or just plain “luck” from their status (whether inherited or made). However, all those things only last for so long if they are just connected to worldly sources and not to the Source. In addition, each and every person has to learn how to steward what they have well in order to be successful.
You are called to a purpose only God can do through you.
When you are a follower of Jesus, you begin to learn that He is the ultimate Source of your success as He gives certain talents, or gifts, specifically to you! Therefore, there is no need to compete or compare when every person has different strengths according to their God-given purpose. In order to acknowledge your God-given purpose and your strengths, you need to first trust and believe in the fact that Jesus came to live a perfect life, die a sinner’s death, and rise from the dead for you! Jesus endured all the bad things of this life so that you are able to come to Him, and be saved by Him, for a specific purpose! God forgives you of your sins, when you repent, because of what Jesus has done. Now, your purpose is to honor Him and give Him praise for the way He begins to impact you, as you get used to impact others!
Jeremiah 17:7-8 states, “blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, that does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
This picture illustrated through this verse is a great visual for us to realize that when Jesus is the source, we benefit from Him and are blessed! I have heard it said that everyone has their own personal source of water, or God supply, so to speak! Therefore, there is no need to compare and compete because God has a specific plan and purpose for you that He will grow and prepare you to do! An example of this can be found in the Bible at the end of John chapter twenty-one. Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, was told to follow Jesus wherever He was to lead him for God’s plan and glory, even to the point of death. However, Peter turned to look at another disciple, who had the description of “the one whom Jesus loved,” and started to compare to his path. Peter, therefore, asks a question to Jesus that shows his own insecurity. Peter asks, “‘Lord what about this man?’” So, Jesus responds to Peter in John 21:22 with a follow-up question, “‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’” “You follow me!” Jesus emphasized here how He doesn’t want His creation to compare with one another. He wants us to just focus on HIM and what He personally leads each one of us to do.
Jesus wants us to understand that He has a different relationship and plan for each of His own!
Therefore, He doesn’t want us to get caught up in what others around us are a part of, or are called to, for the kingdom! Proverbs 4:25-26 state, “let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” These verses tell us of how we should look at where we are planted or look at the path that our feet are on. Once you fix your focus on God as you gaze up ahead, knowing He is leading you, then the path is right. But, if all you are doing is looking around at everyone else’s life, while sulking in your own, then you are not on a beneficial path. As a result of knowing all this, we should also work on being joyful and supportive as we witness others doing what God has called them to walk in. That is part of being God’s child, and being part of His kingdom. We are all supposed to use our gifts for the same reason, which is to serve God and give Him glory! In fact, we wouldn’t be able to do anything or get anywhere, unless we learn and believe the fact that Jesus has set us free from the bonds of sin, death, and the devil. This allows you to focus on God and how He is the source of all you need. He gives direction and purpose! When God leads you, you will realize there is no need to compete or compare, as you begin to see how you are playing a part in God’s kingdom!
