Here is a special devotional from my bible. I have found it very thought provoking and wanted to pass it along…
Do you suffer from "Comparisonitis"?
One of the most debilitating diseases of the modern world is "comparisonitis"-the tendency to measure one's worth by comparing oneself to other people. You won't find this illness listed in any of the standard medical textbooks, nor will your company's disability or health insurance or worker's compensation program reimburse you for it. But make no mistake: comparisonitis is a scourge as widespread and destructive as any physical or emotional malady know today.
Do you suffer from it? Do you find ways to look down on others and think highly of yourself because you enjoy greater abilities, intelligence, status, or wealth than they? Or do you look down on yourself and envy others because you feel you are not as capable, smart, powerful, or rich as they?
Comparisonitis is an ancient disease. Certainly Paul was aware of how deadly it could be. That's why he offered an antidote to it-to see ourselves not as we stack up against others, nor as others evaluate us, but as God sees us. (Romans 12:3) Ultimately, His estimation of our worth is what matters. And to Him we matter a lot!
God does not define us according to culturally defined externals. Even our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, or body type are not of primary importance to Him. No, He uses an altogether different set of criteria as the basis for how He deals with us, as several people in scripture indicate:
- Paul found that God's grace made him who he was (1 Cor. 15:10)
- Paul also discovered that despite his past, God had made him into a new person (2 Cor. 5:17)
- Peter leanred that God's power gave him everything he needed to live his life and pursue godliness (2 Pet. 1:3)
- Job realized that all he had-family, friends, p0ssessions, health-was ultimately from God (Job 1:21)
- One of the psalmists understod that God Himself had created him, "fearfully and wonderfully". Imagine what that did for his self-image! (Psalm 139:14)
Do you suffer from comparisonitis? What needs to change in your self-assessment for you to see yourself as God sees you?
