Promotion > Comparison

Have you ever looked at the people around you and felt like you didn't measure up? I’m going to be honest, I've been struggling with this a lot lately. I have some really talented friends. Some of them play instruments, some of them dance, some of them are writers, some are athletic, some are really good at crafts and DIY projects, some are photographers, some are great speakers, and the list goes on… I am so, so proud of my friends and I love seeing the fruit of their passions. Lately, though, I’ve been guilty of something called “comparison”. I look at what others are doing and I think, “Why am I not doing that?” or “Why don’t I have something special I do?” It’s really stressful, putting yourself under the pressure of trying to come up with something to do or to try to be good at, especially when you aren’t passionate about that thing, because, when you aren’t passionate about a thing, you can’t be very good at it.

When you start to compare yourself to others, you have to stop and ask why you’re doing it. Sometimes we do it because we want to gain approval, sometimes we’re jealous, sometimes we’re insecure, and, other times, it’s simply because we want to be able to do something we can be proud of. Whatever the reason(s), the solution is the same. The lyrics of Francesca Battistelli’s song “He Knows My Name” have been running through my head for several days now and have communicated the solution so well to me. They go, “I don’t need my name in lights; I’m famous in my Father’s eyes. Make no mistake, He knows my name. I’m not living for applause; I’m already so adored. It’s all His stage. He knows my name. He knows my name!” In other words, we already have God’s approval. Its cliché, yes… but think about it. The God whose opinion is more valuable than anyone else’s on this earth, who sees what everyone else is accomplishing, approves of you. In fact, He put the abilities and the passions inside of you so that you could do what you do best. There’s no need to be jealous of others or insecure, because the Maker of the universe has your full attention and, even though you can’t do all the things that others can do, He adores you.

2 Corinthians 10:12 says those who “measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another… are without understanding.” Other translations call them “ignorant” and “not wise”. And why is that? First, because God’s standard of measurement isn’t like ours. We aren’t to measure ourselves by each other or compare ourselves with one another, because God doesn’t measure us by each other or compare us with one another. He looks at each of our accounts individually. And, guess what! You measure up! Have you ever noticed that when you know you have someone’s approval you’re freer to do praiseworthy things? You’re free to go beyond striving to gain their approval to the bigger, better tasks of doing things that are actually worthy of applause, things that make your heart happy, things that come naturally to you, things you do well. I like to think of Lucia, one of Eli the woodcarver’s creations, from Max Lucado’s “You Are Special”. She didn’t measure her worth with star stickers for good deeds and dot stickers for bad deeds. She didn’t wear any stickers at all. In fact, the stickers that the Eli’s other woodcarvings tried to stick on her wouldn’t even stick. She put herself under Eli’s standard, and because she had his approval, she was free from the burdensome task of trying to earn stars—free to do what made her heart happy.

Another reason comparison is ignorant is that we aren’t meant to do what everyone else is doing. In verse 16 of 2 Corinthians 10, Paul expresses his desire to preach in unreached lands so as not to “[boast] about work done in someone else’s territory.” In other words, we can’t all do the same things because we can’t all minister to the same people—we can’t all live and work in the same territory. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When the devil can get us to compare ourselves to others and try to do the things they’re doing, he can distract us from those unique things which God has planned for us to do.

Don’t misunderstand me, not comparing ourselves with others doesn’t mean we should stop ourselves from being inspired by what others are doing. Like I said before, because we’re approved, we are empowered to do great things—things we’re passionate about. We can know that we and our friends are approved by God and are all, therefore, doing what He has planned for each of us to do. Though we have different territories, we work together as one body, motivating each other forward.

This leaves some of us with the questions, What am I passionate about? What is the special thing that I do? What did God prepare in advance for me to do? Where is my territory? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what my special thing is yet. Whatever it is, it must be different from that of my friends. But I do know one thing I can be doing in the waiting—I can be promoting others. And, even when I do figure it out, I can still promote my friends in the unique and special things they’re doing. When you have a comparison mindset, you want everyone to know how good you are and what you can do. When you have a promotion mindset, you want to promote the things others can do, and that glorifies God.  Ephesians 4:29 says, “…Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words may benefit those who listen.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Encourage each other and build each other up…” Hebrews 10:24 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works…” Now that’s something I can be passionate about and be very good at!