At one time or another, most of us have been guilty of comparing ourselves or circumstances to someone else. Whether motivated by envy, discontentment, pride, or supposed superiority, we have done something that God says is not wise. In 2 Corinthians 10:12, Paul stated, “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.”
That being said, there is a man to whom we would be wise to continually compare ourselves. Doubtless you have already guessed Who this Man is—Jesus Christ. We should do this in two ways. On the one hand, we should compare ourselves to the perfect, holy nature of our Lord. By comparing our thoughts and actions to what we learn of Christ in Scripture, we learn how we ought to grow and change to be more like Him. Verses like Philippians 2:5 and 1 John 2:6 call us to learn to have both the “mind of Jesus” and the “walk of Jesus.” The ultimate goal for the Christian is described in Ephesians 4:13, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
The other act of comparison would be more accurately described as a healthy acknowledgment of contrast. A fine example of this is found in Isaiah 40. Verse 12 describes God’s immeasurable power and the vastness of His wisdom. “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” Verses 13-14 describe his infinite knowledge, wisdom, and sovereign purposes. “Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?” Jumping ahead to verse 18, it says, “To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him?”
By acknowledging God’s great wisdom and power, and admitting our comparative dullness and helplessness, we learn to go to God and to rely upon Him daily. I scratch my head when my 11-year-old asks for help doing a math problem! But if God can span the very fabric of space with an outstretched hand and contain the oceans as a small drop in His palm, He surely has the wisdom and power to care for us! He surely has the power to keep His promises to us! There is no problem too great or complex for Him!
So take a few minutes, and both compare and contrast yourself to God! Through comparison, you will learn what areas of your life need work to become more Christ-like! Through contrast, you will learn to trust and rely upon God!
By Pastor Peter Coon
