Biblical Living part 4, No room for Comparison

Often in life we find ourselves comparing.  Comparing our kids to our sister’s kids.  Comparing our farm to our neighbor’s farm.  Comparing our car to our parent’s car.  Comparing our job to our friend’s job.  Comparing our talents, our abilities, our lives.  This is a terrible way to live life.

There is someone that we can compare ourselves to, and that is Yeshua, our Messiah.  He sets the standard of how we should live.  He is the example of excellence.

When we look at His life, His teachings, His Word, we realize we will never be all that He is, but we also realize there is nothing more important or noble then striving towards that goal of excellence.  We realize our worldly possessions, house, car, and toys are nothing.  We realize all that matters is loving Him and living for Him.

After all, He died a most tragic death just to save me a sinner underserving and often unappreciative of His sacrifice.

When we stop and remember that, it makes all the little things so much smaller and all the big things so much grander.

I was very young when I came to the conclusion that all I wanted to do was live for Him.  I was ten and I remember that day completely.  My sister and I had gone away to camp.  My sister was very homesick and wanted to stay near me and my friends the whole week.  To be honest, I didn’t mind.  The lessons that week were all about living for Christ.  I remember that we were told that on the last night we would have a bonfire and people would be asked to share about the week.  As that day approached, I knew that I was going to stand up and tell all those people that I was going to live for God no matter what, and serve Him all my days.  That day came, and I did just that.  It was a huge moment in my life.  But I don’t think any of those other people really understood, how big of a decision it was.  I have never changed my mind about that decision.  I did make a lot of dumb and selfish decisions in life since that day.  I have sinned many times since that day.  But, at the core of who I am I have never given up that desire to live whole-heartedly for my Messiah.

One of the hardest thing about choosing to live for Christ at such a young age is the comparison game.  Often, I felt like my sister was a better Christian than me.  She didn’t get in nearly as much trouble as I did.  I often felt like I let my parents, teachers, and most of all God down.  I sometimes still struggle with feeling like I am not a good enough mom, wife, daughter, etc.  But, I have had to learn that even when I mess up or don’t do things exactly as I had hoped I would, I am still forgive.  I am still chosen.  I am still His.

The other side of the comparison game is judging others.  When you learn a knew truth and you want everyone else to know it too.  You try and share it and then your rejected, and maybe even ridiculed. When this happens over and over, it can cause you to do one of two things.  One, is doubt your relationship with God, and your understanding of Him.  The other is distance yourself from others.  You start to feel so different from others that you don’t feel like you belong, you start feeling alone.  When you let these feelings of doubt and loneliness take over often they turn into judgement.

So, how do we as believers continue to grow and mature in our faith and understanding of God and His Word, and Ways, without playing the comparison game.  We set the standard for ourselves alone.  I can not make anyone else do anything, understand anything, or be anything.  I can only control myself, my mind, and my attitude.  I am only accountable for my actions and behavior.

When the day of judgement comes, I will not be asked about my neighbor, my sister, my spouse, or even my parents.  NO, I will only be held accountable for my actions.

I will be held accountable for those whom Yehovah places under my care, to teach and to train, but even in that regard it will be their chose to obey.  I will NOT be help accountable for someone else’s choices to reject truth, to live in disobedience.  I am only accountable to walk in truth and to share it, in love, with those whom Christ places in my path.

Written by ktmom15