Comparing by Steve Porter

By Steve Porter

 "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12)


 


Do you compare yourself with other people? Do you find your value by using others as your measure? The Bible should be the only standard by which we measure ourselves for several very good reasons.


 


In 2 Corinthians 10:12 the Lord makes it known that we are unwise if we are always comparing ourselves with others. To be honest, I do not want the Lord to one day say that I have been a fool and missed the mark He planned for me! For that reason I refuse to compare myself with others. I simply will not compete with others and fall into that kind of sin.


 


Pride or Intimidation


 


Comparing ourselves to others will, without a doubt, lead us down one of two roads-the road to pride or the road to intimidation. Let me explain hypothetically using myself as an example.


 


What if I were to look at another preacher and conclude: "This guy could really learn something from me. He just doesn't have my gift. His Bible teaching is just plain lacking." As you can imagine I have just fallen victim to the hideous sin of pride and wounded the heart of God, and in the process turned off those around me. The Bible says pride comes before destruction. (Proverbs 16:18)  That means it won't be long before God is no longer able to honor or use me to reveal His glory. Instead He'll have to allow me to make a public fool of myself because I refused to obey Him and fell into pride. We should guard our hearts and remain humble and teachable because others have things to teach us if we have open hearts. Many saints fall into the trap of pride when God begins to use them. They begin to think they are special and fall prey to pride and an unteachable spirit. We should examine our hearts and guard against this spirit every day.


 


On the other hand, I could look at another preacher and feel intimidated, saying to myself, "Wow, I could never have that kind of revelation and depth. Compared to him I sound ridiculous. His ministry is so much more powerful than mine. I don't know why I even try." If these are my thoughts then I have just fallen victim to the sin of intimidation, which is deeply rooted in fear. The Bible says that God has not given us the spirit of fear! In reality, Satan is the author of fear and confusion while the Lord wants us to have a sound mind that walks in power and practices faith in Him alone. The truth is that living in paralyzing fear will actually reinforce the enemy's ability to hinder you at every opportunity.


 


You're One of a Kind

 

When we compare ourselves to others either through either pride or intimidation we open the door, giving the enemy an opportunity to operate in our lives. And let us not forget that when we stand before God we will give an account of whether we chose to walk in faith or surrendered to fear.

 


Comparing yourself with others is foolish, because God has created you to be one-of-a-kind and wants you to be the best you can be by the power of the Holy Spirit. So walk humbly and softly before God, preferring your brother above yourself and pulling the plug on comparison! Throw it in the trash where it belongs and allow the power of God to flow through your life as never before!


 


Steve Porter

www.soakingplace.tv

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