He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last- dividing it in proportion to their abilities.
We’ve all heard the saying that comparison is the thief of Joy, it's true. And though true, there’s more to it. Comparison doesn’t just steal our Joy, but it causes us to buy in on the illusion or lie that God himself is partial (favoring one side above the other) in dealing with us. Left unchecked it can lead to neglecting what we ought to be doing, the tasks God has entrusted to us and instead grabbing other people’s tasks, because you see once you yield to the feeling of discontentment with where you are in life, the minute the enemy presents a solution for that discontentment. I remember a season in my life where God had entrusted me to steward His presence, seek Him above everything and just invest my time and resources in seeking His face, my peers on the other hand were starting businesses and making money, I also had money, it’s just that in comparison with my peers I felt it just wasn’t enough. As I observing them, I realized I don’t have enough money perhaps I should start a business too, so I did, in the midst of that I realized I had no business grace at all, I also had no capacity in me to keep going, even to do the smallest business thing, I had no idea what I was doing at all and the worst thing is that the business was actually clashing with the tasks God gave me, it was draining and quite tiring, though people praised me for doing something that seemed significant, that seemed like I was making moves in their eyes, I knew it wasn’t the will of God. I had to surrender that to God, repent and continue steadfastly in what God has graced me to do. Imagine if lets say, I was naturally good in business, I would have continued in that path, regardless of knowing its not what God wanted me to do. Sometimes that's exactly what we do, we take upon things that God did not call us into simply because we allowed to entertain a thought that says your life is insignificant, and in comparison with our peers it felt we were not doing enough.
The spirit of comparison goes deeper than just stealing our joy, though Joy on its own is vital in the life of a believer, because Joy from the Lord allows us to do what we are called to do, it allows us to believe and expect to see and experience the goodness of God, when we compare ourselves to others we fail to see what God has done for us, therefore if we don’t see what he has done, can we then be expectant for Him to do more, no! Joy allows us to be content whilst knowing God will continue to move us from glory to glory. The Apostle Paul prays that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with Joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit-Romans 15:13,
Hope is the feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen. The hope we have in Jesus will never disappoint us, because this Hope is Jesus Himself, and he is faithful to fulfil all his promises.
So therefore, how do we break free from the trap of comparison? By identifying first that this is an attack, the word says we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against principalities and powers in the unseen realm, when Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness I believe that the enemy came to attack his mind, to wage war against His identity, because we have an identity that is always targeted by enemy, he will do anything to distract you from holding firm to the identity you have in Christ. In Christ contentment is your portion, and this contentment is not equivalent with the the lie that things will never change but rather that I am content because I know my times are fixed in the hands of a loving father, who is leading and guiding my steps, all things are yours in Christ, God is not hiding anything from you or withholding anything, but recognize that as we mature in our relationship with Him, the more we are given more to steward. The more we steward the now things, the more God will fill our hands with more. We also need to recognize, that it is sin and when we yield to it we are agreeing with the sinful nature that Christ crucified on the cross. God told cane in the word, sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master, Genesis 4:7, we do this by clinging to the truth, allowing the Holy Spirit to continually cleanse us and renew our mind by the word of God. Our mind need to be renewed in order for us to quickly discern when we are thinking out of step with God's will.
So, when tempted to compare knock down the catastrophic thoughts by the truth of God, be vulnerable to God about where you are and trust that God knows what He is doing in your life. At the end of the day, we are only accountable to God for what we do with what we’ve been given, for God in his wisdom and absolute knowledge, has given to each according to their own abilities.
Let’s pray
Father thank you for the truth that I don’t not have to concern myself with what someone else is doing because you have each given us a proportion according to our abilities, I fall out of agreement with any thought I have embraced in my life that did not originate from you, I pray for the grace to be aware of what you have called me in this season, and I pray that my life would overflow with joy as I do what you have called me to do, You are aware of my season you are acquainted with everything concerning my life, may you make me more and more aware of what truly matters. Thank you for your mercy and grace that has delivered me from the lies of the enemy. In Jesus name Amen.
Comments