Jacey Verdicchio - A Children's Author

Ours is a world defined by comparison.  There is no escaping it.  People reason by placing two similar things side by side, comparing them and making judgements about each in relation to the other.  It can be a valuable analytical strategy when it comes to say, choosing paint colors or conducting a scientific study.  In matters of the heart and human worth, however, it can be destructive.

When we compare ourselves to others, we almost always stack the deck against ourselves.  We know all of our shortcomings and flaws, and mentally inflate the achievements and personality strengths of others.  The end conclusion?  “I was feeling pretty good about myself until so-and-so walked in and proved that I am, in fact, a worm.”  Or something like that.

On the other hand, there are people whose lives we observe and afterwards pat ourselves on the back.  “I’m doing okay.  So-and-so over here is a walking mess.”  Also not a good result.  Thoughts like this allow us to settle for where we are instead of striving to grow, and they also instill a false sense of superiority.  False in that we’re all in progress, and superiority is an irrelevant illusion.

The most dangerous place for comparison is in our spiritual lives.  Comparing our spiritual growth and lives to our brothers’ and sisters’ is a huge distraction from what God intended for his family: love.

If someone’s spiritual life inspires me, I can learn from that example.  But I should not for one minute judge myself in comparison to that person.  It would be like a five-year-old feeling rotten because he can’t dunk a basketball like his seventeen-year-old brother.  If we feel inadequate in comparison to others, we are negating a key truth of God’s Word, that He has already made us adequate and acceptable.  Comparisons can also cause people to get caught up in what everyone else thinks.  Efforts can then shift from genuine growth to putting on appearances.  Genuine growth requires an honest appraisal and acceptance of where I am today.  Otherwise, how do I know where I’m trying to go if all my energy is spent pretending I’m already there?

It can be extremely productive to compare where you are today with where you were one year ago.  You may be encouraged by how much you’ve grown, or you may be disappointed.  Comparing yourself to your past self gives you valuable information to shape your future growth.