John 21:20-22, Gen 4:1-10
In the race set before us, we must understand that we are called, graced and gifted differently. Even when people have the same grace or gift, the expression of the giftings of God and the grace of God in their life will still be unique. Individuality, peculiarity around things pertaining to those people. If we don’t understand the workings and operations of God in our life, if we don’t understand that the hand, grace, giftings of God that is upon our life is unique or peculiar,there might be a tendency for us to start comparing ourselves with others.
And over time, we have looked at the fact that even in our private personal life, we are called out, we are gifted and wired differently and there are things that we should pay attention to that our life, journey and the race set before us is unique.
We should be self aware that God’s hand upon our life is for a specific purpose and that God is so intentional about our life to a point that he wants us to be unique and live a life that glorifies him and he has gifted us differently.
So, the reason for Comparison is now when people begin to compare the results i.e. life, outcome, journey, race, giftings and grace of God upon their life.
The danger of Comparison overtime leads us to a place where we are not content with ourselves. Comparison is a subtle yet a destructive force that can steal our joy or derail our focus and hinder our progress. When we fall into that space where we begin to compare ourselves with others and we are not focused on the race set before us, on the assignment God has given to us, on our calling, on what God has given to us to run with, we are bound to start comparing ourselves with others and once that begin to happen, it has a capacity to derail our focus.
And once these things start happening in our lives, we will get to a point when we are not content. Lack of contentment will come in. Sometimes we don’t even know when we came to that space of Comparison. That is why Comparison is very subtle yet destructive.
Comparison happens everywhere. We can’t be anyone else. If we want to be someone else then either of us is not relevant. And God in his wisdom gifted us differently. We are like different colours in the hand of God and what God wants to do with our life is to match these colours and have a rainbow.
What God will want in our life is such that he takes glory in our unity. We are not called to compete, we are called to compliment. If we don’t understand that, we will start comparing ourselves and it is subtle and destructive. And what will happen at the end of the day is that our focus will be derailed, our joy will be stolen and it hinders our progress.
From the scripture we read; John 21:20-22, Peter was so interested in what happens to someone else’s life. He wanted to know the fate of John and Jesus said to him “If I will that he remains till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” -John 21:22.
There is a point in our life that we must stay focused on what God has called us to do, we must stay focused on our journey with God, we must be confident in the program, plan and agenda of God for our life. We must be comfortable with what God is doing in our life.
Most of us have thought that the reason why Cain’s offering was not accepted was because Cain’s offering is not a blooded offering. But the scripture was very clear. It stated that one was a shepherd, dealing with sheep and the other was a tiller of ground, i.e a farmer.
It will be unfair on the path of God to demand for what one does not have. The issue on ground was not Abel’s issue, it was between Cain and God. It was Cain’s responsibility to ask God why he didn’t do well with the sacrifice.
That’s why you must focus well. If you don’t focus well you will fight the wrong battles and be carried away with things that are not necessary. What Cain should have been concerned with is why he didn’t do well. Why did Cain kill Abel? What was Abel’s offence in all of this? If Cain needs to be angry he should be angry with God and not Abel his brother.
You must learn to focus on your own journey. Your journey is unique so focus on it. If you don’t, you will start comparing. Focus on the workings, operations and dealings of God. Cain and Abel were brothers but the dealing of God upon their life was not the same even though they both had the same intention to sacrifice.
That should tell you that sometimes the demand of God over one person’s life is not the same as his demand over another person’s life. There are some people that God will demand some level of consecration from that he might be demanding from you.
There are people God gives specific instructions concerning the way to dress, and do some things and that is dependent on the personal dealings of the individual with God. There are fundamentals of faith in salvation. That’s the common ground. Focusing on a particular thing blocks out comparison. Many people abandon what they planned to do in the course of the year.
2) You must focus on God’s sovereignty, i.e you must come to a place where you trust in the plan and purposes of God for your life that God cannot play with your life. You must come to the place of confidence and assurance in God knowing that God is mindful of you.
Secondly, we must trust God’s sovereignty. We must come to that point that God is intentional with our lives. We must come to the point that He is not a joker.
We must come to that point of confidence. He is mindful of us.
Psalms 16:5-6
The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintain my lot.
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
The psalmist says the Lord maintains our lot. He will give us what He has in store for us.
He is mighty and intentional about our lives.
The fact that someone is collecting extra sheets in the exam hall does not mean he is making a point. On the other hand, there are people that write a few words that make sense.
Thirdly, we must emulate the examples of men that follow God and follow through the journey. Follow the examples of men who stay focused.
There were men that stayed with a single career. They stayed with it for 30 years. For one to stay in a career path one must have stayed in it for at least for 15 years. This is when one can say he has a career path.
Expertise is built within this period. Exposure, experience come together to make one an expertise. For one to be consistent like that one has to stay in there for growth. This is why we must follow such examples. The examples abound. We must stay focused.
The reason why some believers are still in one phase is that they have ventured into so many things. This is why they have dreams and projects littered everywhere and abandoned.
If care is not taken there will not be focus. We must build. We must run with intentionality, otherwise we will not be trusted by people.
Nobody wants to throw his resources at a novice. Consistency and growth over time should be our focus.
The reason why some people think they are stagnant is that they feel they are not having result. This they do by comparing themselves with others, and that God is not good to them.
If we can question God during times of trouble we should also ask Him for the blessings. Comparison is rooted where we are not grateful to God.
We should be grateful for His love. We must thank Him that we are not where we use to be.
The followings are the dangers of comparison
Firstly, it diverts our focus. The things we are not planning to do or wired for we end up finding ourselves there. It is a diversion of focus. It shifts our attention from our journey to other people’s achievement. So that our progress will now be the score card of others, which ought not to be. Once there is diversion it reduces our momentum. We are to build momentum.
We cannot imagine an athlete turning back and running backward to still be the winner. We must stay focused.
Secondly, it fosters envy. Why Cain was rejected was because of envy and that of Abel was accepted. Envy is subtle. It is not written in the face but in the heart.
James 3:14-16
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
There is no way a man is envious and bitterness will not be the other of the day.
When a man is envious, bitterness will be the order of the day. Such a person is dangerous.
Cain didn’t set out that day to kill Abel but envy and bitterness took over him that he couldn’t rule over it.
To rule over envy and bitterness, you take your heart to the Lord.
James 3:16
We have a race to run, our race is unique, hence there is no need for comparison.
1 Samuel 17
David solved a national problem and the women sang to his praise in numbers. This comparison threatened Saul that he became insufficient. His crown and the throne were not enough to give him confidence to sit like a king.
The concern is that what makes a man with such influence envious of a boy?
Saul always had Spear and javelin in his hand while on the throne. That is a lot. Only if God shows us what people have in mind against us while we are unaware.
Jonathan was all out to support David. He had a healthy spirit.He was not intimidated by David’s success. Same as David. When Saul died alongside his son, he didn’t see it as an avenue to celebrate.
1 Samuel 18:11-12, 19:10, 1 Samuel 23:17
Comparison undermines your trust in God. Comparison is like questioning God’s sovereignty, his wisdom and understanding. It makes you think like God has forgotten you. You begin to question how faithful God is to you. This eventually erodes your trust in God’s plan and agenda for your life.
You come to a place where you are not certain about God’s purpose for your life.
We should do our best to trust God, put our hope in him. We should not compete with others. We should complement them. What God has given you, be content with it. However, do not be complacent. Run well and finish well. When you know what God has given you and called you to do, you stay in it relaxed and calm. You just wait on God and he’d miraculously perfect it. Be secured in God. Be assured that he doesn’t play with your life and he is mindful of your journey with him.