The Comparison Game - November 20

Read Galatians 6:3-5

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Reflect

Have you ever felt spiritually superior to other believers? Why does Paul say that those who do so are deceiving themselves?

Have you ever played the spirituality comparison game? For example, have you ever felt a twinge of conviction regarding a sin that had snuck into your life but, rather than confess and repent, you thought to yourself, ‘Yeah, well, at least I am doing better than “so and so.’” Or maybe you’ve grown in biblical knowledge lately and you’re so proud of your progress that you’ve started looking down on others in your sphere of influence that aren’t as familiar with the Bible as you are. You may even wonder from time to time why “so and so” just can’t seem to get it together and make wiser choices like you do.

Well, Paul had something to say about believers who play this comparison game, especially if they always view themselves as the winners. He said that those who think they are something are deceiving themselves. The apostle John wrote something similar in 1 John 1:8. He said, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The fact of the matter is, none of us are without sin and all of us are dependent on God’s grace in order to be saved. We are all sinners just like everyone else. We may have been walking with the Spirit longer than someone else and therefore, we may be more spiritually mature. But that certainly doesn’t make us better than anyone else.

Proverbs 6:16-19 lists seven things that the Lord hates and “haughty eyes” makes the number one slot. God hates it when people look down on other people. He hates pride and vain conceit. We have to remember that every human has value and worth because we are all the “Imago Dei.” We were made by God in the image of God. What gives us the right to decide for ourselves that we are superior to another?

But there is another problem with thinking we are really something. When we are spiritually arrogant, we seem to have forgotten that without God’s grace we are nothing. Before we were spiritually reborn in Christ, we were spiritually dead. In Ephesians 2:12, Paul wrote: “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” In other words, when we were separated from Christ, we were hopeless and utterly lost.

But we have good news in Ephesians 2:13: “But now in Christ Jesus you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Notice, it doesn’t say that we were brought near to God because we are super spiritual and full of more good works than anyone else. No, we had to be brought near by the blood of Christ. We could do nothing to save ourselves.

Then, Paul emphasized that we should “test our own work.” He meant that instead of comparing ourselves to others, we should compare ourselves with ourselves. In my work as a health coach, I want my clients to only compare their journey with where they started compared to where they are now. It is meaningless to compare themselves with anyone else and can either lead to false pride or false discouragement. If a client works hard and loses 20 lbs. then he can be proud of his accomplishment regardless of how much any of my other clients weigh. He isn’t responsible for the decisions that others make about their health. He is only responsible for his own.

In 2 Corinthians 10:12,18 (NIV), Paul wrote: “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves, they are not wise…. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” We are all going to stand before the Lord someday and when we do, we won’t be looking to our left or to our right to see how we stack up with the competition. Because it’s not a competition. We each have to bear our own load. John MacArthur wrote: “...every believer is accountable to bear his own load, even the light one Christ gives him, and to answer for his faithfulness in so doing when he faces Him.”

So, don’t play the comparison game! We are all nothing apart from Christ and we are all something only by His grace.

Respond

Lord, please forgive me for the times when I have compared myself to others and felt superior to them. I know that it is only by Your grace that I am saved and that I am nothing without You. Help me be faithful to what You have called me to do, regardless of what anyone else is doing. Amen.

Reveal

Think about someone whose faith journey looks very different from yours—maybe a friend who’s new to following Jesus, or someone who’s drifted from church for a while. Instead of comparing your progress, take time this week to encourage them. Send a message, meet for coffee, or simply ask how you can pray for them. Listen without judging or trying to “fix” anything. Share one thing God’s been teaching you lately, not as advice, but as a way of walking alongside them. When we choose humility and encouragement over comparison, we remind others—and ourselves—that grace is what holds us all together.