Articles
Comparison is a Lose-Lose
Comparison is a Lose-Lose
“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people…” (Luke 18:11). Comparing ourselves to others is a lose-lose. If we compare ourselves to someone worse off, it leads to pride and self-satisfaction. Like the Pharisee in Luke 18, we’re grateful we’re not like other people and feel pretty good about ourselves. That’s a fail. “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14).
On the other hand, if we compare ourselves to someone better off, it can lead to envy. We find ourselves ashamed of where we are, who we are, and what we have in life, and we want what they have! Social media invites us to play the comparison game. It starts out innocently, just checking on friends. But deep down, many of us are insecure. There’s a nagging sense we’re doing life wrong, so we start using our online friends as the standard for how we’re doing. That’s a fail. It’s not sinful to use social media, just remember to use God as your standard. That’s what the tax collector in Luke 18 did and, instead of pride or envy, he found humility and hope (Luke 18:13-14a).
