“Comparison is the death of joy.” - Mark Twain
For this blog, I want to talk about something we’ve all experienced at one time or another: comparison. Why address jealousy and comparison? Well, I tend to watch a lot of YouTube influencers, and I notice how these young people are becoming internet famous. More than anything, I pay attention to the comments on these videos about how these influencers are so young, yet seemingly have their entire lives figured out. As I read these comments, I began to reflect on how we compare our lives to those of these influencers. Despite our claims of being genuinely happy for them, there's often a part of us that thinks, "I wish I could be doing that." Envy creeps in.
As a believer, I began to question why I am envying these influencers. Why am I jealous of people whose actions contradict God's teachings? Why do we envy the wrong things? If I'm going to envy anyone, it should be the Christian couple striving to live a life pleasing to God. Yet, as a society, we glorify those who do things backward. We overlook people with morals and values. In today’s society, right is wrong and wrong is right.
Why do we glorify the negative and rarely celebrate the positive?
Oftentimes, we forget who we are. Let me remind you. 1 Peter 2:9 tells us, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (NIV) If God says we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, why do we envy the people and things of this world? Why do we seek validation from people we don’t even know? Why do we delete Instagram pictures if they don't get a certain number of likes?
Galatians 1:10 says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (NIV) Paul asks us, whose approval is more important? God's or people's? This verse is crucial and something we need to ask ourselves often. Who am I doing this for? What am I doing this for? For God’s glory or for a few more followers? We need to remain uninfluenced by the world. Our standard should be holiness, not the world’s standard.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (NIV) It’s important to pay attention to whom we envy and whose standards we compare ourselves to. Everyone’s path is different, so don’t be jealous of what someone else has; trust that God’s timing is perfect and He will provide what He desires for you in His time. The Bible should be our measuring stick, not social media.
My prayer for you is Numbers 6:24-26:
“‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.” (NLT)
Amen!
*Please note, this blog was originally written in November 2020*