A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 19). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
Comparison, have you ever had a problem with it? Maybe when you were young or maybe when you are old?
Jon says, “Comparison makes it impossible to view ourselves from any sort of godly perspective. It is an absolute snare for the soul. Consider what comparison does to our view of others. First, when we compare ourselves with those we perceive to be better than we are in any given area of life, the comparison produces a sense of inferiority and insecurity. Whenever we see those people, they become reminders that we don’t have what it takes and are falling behind. We feel we must toil and strive to keep up. Yet the harder we try to do that, the more we’re caught in a cycle of despair. Comparison erodes our sense of worth and self-esteem. And it has a flip side. When we compare ourselves with people we perceive to be inferior to us, we are filled with a sense of superiority. The people around us become constant reminders of how good we are and how well we are doing, and judgment and pride creep in. Those controlled by forces of comparison have unstable and insecure souls.”
Jon later says, “Comparison not only creates an ulcer in the source of our self-worth but also makes it impossible for us to love deeply in community. As followers of Jesus, we are called to lives of sacrificial love, but it’s impossible to give our hearts and lives away to those whom we must better in order to determine our worth. Comparison is the enemy of compassion.”
Jon also says, “We so often feel that we are falling behind others. But a fast from comparison and a feast on biblical identity could move your life into a place of freedom and delight. You would be more present to those you love and begin to notice things happening around you. You would be able to celebrate the success of others and delight in their favor rather than feeling like you were being overlooked or diminished in some way. Your envy would melt into love as you realize you are on the same team and seeking the same goal, and you wouldn’t perceive others as a threat. You may even find you are being liberated from the tyranny of comparison in your life.”
Jon then says, “The world I live in still seeks to persuade me that something is missing. To help refute that lie, I need to marinate in my true identity in Christ.”
Look what it means to be in Christ:
• I am God’s child. (John 1:12)
• As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ. (John 15:15)
• I am free from condemnation. (Romans 8:1–2)
• I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)
• I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)
Remember Jesus saw something in you that led Him to a cross to die for you. So would you start today to fast from comparison and feast on biblical identity? Would you?
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