True Identity Ministries Blog

Last week we discussed how the enemy often uses doubts and lies to trap us and prevent us from living with complete joy and freedom in God. The 1st trap we discussed was when the enemy gets us to take our eyes off of God by turning them on ourselves. The second trap that the enemy often uses against us women, is he gets us to:

Turn our eyes towards others

The comparison trap! We begin to compare. It can even begin with innocent admiration of another woman. Maybe we begin to look at her situation and how ‘together’ or ‘perfect’ it seems, and then we begin to doubt ourselves and think, “well, maybe I should be doing it that way, or maybe if I had a marriage like hers… then I’d be happy; or if I was her size… then I wouldn’t be so discouraged!” The more we are focused on other’s, we are always going to tend to feel like we don’t measure up. We are looking through a ‘skewed image’, a block window, you might want to say.

Years ago, when my husband and I had our home built, the contractor encouraged us to put a block window in our bathroom, so we could get the natural sunlight that would shine in, but wouldn’t have to hassle with messing with closing the curtains all of the time. See, a block window appears like you can see through it, but really the image is ‘skewed’, or blurry. Many times that is what it’s like when we look at others lives…we think we are truly seeing them and their life, but in reality it is a skewed image. We cannot possibly know their personal life...the set of problems they are dealing with or the fears and doubts they battle. So, we need to take our eyes and focus them on the One who is ultimately going to guide us in everything; whether it’s weight loss we’re trying to achieve, or a better marriage or a more content heart.

Why are comparisons so harmful? In Genesis 31:1-16; “Jacob learned that Laban’s sons were grumbling. ‘He owes everything he owns to our father. All his wealth is at our father’s expense.” Comparisons can make us jealous. Jacob’s wealth made Laban’s sons jealous. It is sometimes difficult to be happy when others are doing better than we are. To compare our success with that of others is a dangerous way to judge the quality of our life. By comparing ourselves to others, we may be giving jealousy a foothold.

In John 21:15-25; “Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” Comparisons can discourage us. Peter asked Jesus how John would die. Jesus replied that Peter should not concern himself with that. We tend to compare our life with the lives of others, either to rationalize our own level of devotion to Christ or to question God’s justice. Jesus responds to us as he did to Peter: “What is that to you? You must follow me!” We may not ever completely understand why some people seem to be more blessed than we are, whether it’s with health, more money, a more peaceful home, or whatever else; but we must resist the temptation to look at this in others, so we are not caught in constant discouragement and discontentment. Again, we are working towards total joy and freedom in God and we will not have this if we have given the enemy a foothold!

When are comparisons helpful? In 2 Corinthians 10:1-18; “We will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to measure up to god’s plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you.” Comparisons with God’s standards are the most helpful. Paul criticized the false teachers who were trying to prove their goodness by comparing themselves with others rather than with God’s standards. When we compare ourselves with others, we may feel pride because we think we’re better. But when we measure ourselves against God’s standards, it becomes obvious that we have no basis for pride. Don’t worry about other people’s accomplishments. Instead, continually ask: How does my life measure up to what God wants? How does my life compare to Jesus?

In closing, the enemy will do anything to keep our eyes from being on our Creator. Jesus is the one who designed us and knows everything about us. If you are struggling with comparison or even feel trapped by its hold, ask the Holy Spirit for your eyes to be opened to anything that has blinded you, and for complete freedom! He is faithful! I can promise you that!

Study questions:
Are you struggling with being jealous of someone? If so, we can avoid jealousy by rejoicing in others’ successes. Read Romans 12:15 and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to overcome the jealousy.
Are you battling discouragement and disappointment with yourself? Ask God to help you focus back on the positive strengths you possess and take an inventory of the gifting and talents you have. Read Philippians 4:10-23
Next time you find yourself admiring someone, instead of letting the enemy take it to the trap of comparison, ask God what you are to learn from them so He can use it to spur you on. See Hebrews 10:22-25