As parents, we often remind our children to just be themselves and resist the urge to be like everybody else. It’s ironic, though, because we often neglect to take our own advice. Instead, we get stuck in the comparison trap and start playing the deadly game of comparing ourselves to those around us. Our Social Media culture only fuels the fires of this deadly comparison game. We are bombarded with instant access to seemingly picture perfect images and posts. We wonder how our friends can have such perfect lives while our own life seems like a mess! However, the truth is that their lives are not perfect! What you see on Social Media is not always reality! Social Media is like a reality show where we can cast ourselves in any life we want to live before the world as our audience. Comparing yourself to others is not limited to Social Media. Humanity has been playing the deadly comparison game long before Social Media was invented. The Bible, though, challenges us to embrace our own individuality and seek greater Christlikeness in a world that is obsessed with being every-body else. Let’s take a few moments to explore the Bible and see what happens when we compare ourselves to others.
Comparison makes us complacent. Emulating worthy examples is great! Everybody should long to be the kind of example that others can follow, and we ought to be following the right examples ourselves. Let us never forget, though, that God wants us to be like Him! Our Father wants us to be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). We often forget about our calling to be more like God when we are working hard to be like everybody else. It would do us well to spend a lot less time on Facebook watching the lives of others and start spending a lot more time in God’s Word learning to be more like our Creator.
Comparison destroys our contentment. The Bible teaches us that “godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6). Therefore, much like the apostle Paul, we should all learn that in every life “situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11). The comparison trap, though, breeds feelings of dissatisfaction and ingratitude. Watch HGTV for a while and you’ll start to feel like your house isn’t nice enough. Binge watch the Food Network and you’ll begin to question your ability to cook. Spend too much time on Social Media and you’ll feel like your marriage, your children, and your job just doesn’t measure up. Read the latest magazine and you’ll become unhappy with your physical appearance. But don’t believe the lies of the comparison game! God hasn’t cheated you out of any-thing! You are blessed beyond measure! In fact, there is probably somebody somewhere who is praying to be blessed just like you.
Comparison kills our confidence. We fail to see our own uniqueness and individuality when we fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others. Instead, we accept the notion that being ourselves is just not enough. Consequently, we tend to believe that we must change ourselves to obtain the ap-proval of others. Never forget, though, that God has created each of us to be unique and special! Much like He reminded the prophet Jeremiah, God wants each of us to remember that “before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). We are all blessed to be different, we each have unique abilities and characteristics, and nobody else can be us! Therefore, work on being a more Christlike version of yourself instead of trying to be like everybody else!
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “comparison is the thief of joy!” He was absolutely right! There are no winners who play the deadly game of comparing themselves to others. Comparing yourself to another will only cause you to lose confidence, you will fail to see your blessings, and you will forget about the high calling to become more like Jesus. Stop playing the comparison game! Don’t let Satan steal away your joy by telling you that you are not enough! Embrace your individuality, cher-ish your identity in Christ, and pursue Christlikeness with a passion each day.
Brandon Baggett is a former Pulpit Minister for Eastern Meadows Church of Christ.
