Breaking Up With Comparison
MEGHAN RYAN ASBURY
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“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 (NIV)
Comparison loves to ruin my contentment.
For me, it usually starts when I’ve finished my morning time with Jesus. I’ve not only managed to get up early to read my Bible, but I’m also feeling genuinely connected to God. After I’ve said grateful prayers and found a positive outlook for the day ahead, I reach for my phone. Almost instantly, my mood changes …
A group of my friends got together last night for a beautiful dinner. All smiling and laughing. And they didn’t invite me.
Another friend announces that she, her husband and her children (in perfectly matched outfits) are expecting yet another baby.
It takes all of three minutes for my morning to get hijacked by jealousy.
Comparison is one of the enemy’s ploys against us as we live out who we’re called to be in Christ. If Satan can get us fixated on all the things we aren’t or things we don’t have, we will get stuck there. Instead of running after what God has called us to do, we will run after something else.
But when we quit playing the comparison game and instead consider Jesus as our prize, we win.
One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul wrote these words from prison, but he was looking to the prize. To him, nothing was greater than eternity with Jesus.
Contentment and comparison cannot coexist. And if contentment is found inwardly, we cannot go looking for it externally.
It starts with choosing not to look at other people’s lives as markers of where we need to be. When we’re so busy looking at what God is doing in them, we miss what He’s doing in us. We miss what He has already done.
If you are struggling with this today, here are three invitations for you:
- Spend time alone with God in His Word. Remind yourself of His love for you by reading the stories of what He has done and what He will do.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and reveal where you’ve sought to find satisfaction in external things.
- Allow God to trade your limited, earthly perspective for hope in His eternal promises.
Friend, God’s plan for your life is not meant to be compared to His plan for anyone else. Who God has called you to be is unique. How God is molding you into that person is also intentional (Psalm 139:13-14).
May we be willing to shift our gaze from what everyone around us is doing and see what God is doing in us.
God, I confess I’ve looked with envy at what You are doing in the lives of people around me. But I know all the things they have, the things I want, will never satisfy me in the ways Jesus does. Show me how to stop comparing so I can find true contentment in You alone. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
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When navigating difficulties in a relationship, do you ever find yourself asking, Is this normal? Is every relationship this hard? Lysa TerKeurst understands. After years of personal counseling and extensive time spent in God’s Word, she’s learned all relationships can be difficult at times but they should not be destructive to our well-being. That's why she recorded an important conversation with her counselor Jim Cress and Dr. Joel Muddamalle. Listen to “Am I in Denial That This Relationship Is Unhealthy?” here!
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FOR DEEPER STUDY
Philippians 4:11, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (NIV).
2 Corinthians 4:18, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (NIV).
Where do you feel most tempted to compare yourself to others? Instead of looking at everyone else’s life, how can you shift your gaze to what God is doing in your life?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2024 by Meghan Ryan Asbury. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Friday, 12 July 2024.
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