do not Compare yourselves to others

Luke 10:38–41 NKJV

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

Luke 10:42 NKJV

But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

1 Dont look at others to see what they are and are are not doing for jesus

2 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV

For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

I use to be go go go then i would get frustrated when i looked around and didnt see anyone helping me or doing much of anything for that matter in my eyes

explain

Now

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE

PROUD, PASSIVE, COMPLEX, UNTEACHABLE, DEFIANT,

UNDER-ACHIEVING, OVER-ACHIEVING, PERFECTIONIST.

YOU GET THE POINT, WE TRY TO COMPARE OURSELVES TO ALL OF THEM, NO WONDER WE FEEL EMPTY. WE COMPARE OURSELVES AT WORK, HOME, CHURCH, IF YOU WERE MORE LIKE SO AND SO

IF YOU COULD DO THE JOB LIKE SO AND SO

WE ARE HARD ON OURSELVES:

IF I COULD SING, I DO MORE IN THE CHURCH.

IF I COULD SPEAK AND TEACH, I WOULD EXCEL AT WORK.

WE LIVE IN A DAY AN AGE WHERE MOST PEOPLE ARE HURTING, THEY ARE CARRYING A LOT OF BAGGAGE IN THEIR LIFE. THEY ARE LOOKING AT SOMEONE ELSE TO BE LIKE, BUT WHEN TRUTH BE TOLD, THOSE PEOPLE ARE AS BAD OR WORSE THAN YOU ARE. PEOPLE LIVE OUT OF CONTROL. I KNOW SOME OF YOU HERE THIS MORNING ARE maybe even THERE. YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS. DON’T LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBOR

, LOOK AT JESUS CHRIST AND REALIZE THAT HE IS WHAT YOU NEED.

HERE WE GO-

IF YOU ARE GOING TO AVOID THE COMPARISON TRAP THAT THE DEVIL THROWS OUT YOU MUST:

I. STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS

ASK YOURSELF-QUESTION- DO I EVER FEEL JEALOUS AROUND PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE TALENTED OR HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY THAN I? IF THE ANSWER IS YES- YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE ABILITIES WE HAVE COME FROM GOD. EACH OF US HAVE BEEN GIVEN AT LEAST ONE TALENT AND MANY ABILITIES. COMPARING OUR ABILITIES AND TALENTS CAUSES JEALOUSY.

1 Samuel 18:5–12 NKJV

So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved wisely. And Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants. Now it had happened as they were coming home, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women had come out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy, and with musical instruments. So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.” Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?” So Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul’s hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” But David escaped his presence twice. Now Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him, but had departed from Saul.

QUESTION- DO I SECRETLY ENVY MY PEERS WHO HAVE MORE OR MAKE MORE THAN I DO?

COMPARING POSSESSIONS CAUSES ENVY. COMPARING OUR PROBLEMS CAUSES SELF-PITY AND RESENTMENT.

QUESTION- DO I ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE TO DETERMINE THE GOALS OF MY LIFE.

COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS IS MISSING WHAT GOD HAS FOR YOUR LIFE. APOSTLE PAUL CALLS IT foolishness

ILLUSTRATION-

A FATHER HAD A SON WHO DEVELOPED MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY AS A TEENAGER.. HE BECAME IN LIFE A SEVERELY CRIPPLED MAN. THE BOY LOVED TO RUN AND RACE BEFORE HE BECAME CRIPPLED. THE FATHER wanting to give his son somthing he loved ENTERED HIM AND HIS SON IN A MARATHON. THE FATHER IN HIS LATE 40’S EARLY 50’S AND HIS SON IN HIS 20’S. THE FATHER CARRIED HIS SON THROUGHOUT THE MARATHON. THERE WAS A SWIMMING PART, THE FATHER SWAM AND PULLED HIS SON IN A RUBBER BOAT. THERE WAS A BIKE PART, IT WAS A BIKE WITH A SEAT ATTACHED FOR HIS SON TO RIDE IN. THERE WAS THE RUNNING PART, HE PUSHED HIS SON IN A MODIFIED STROLLER

DON’T LET SOMEONE ELSE DICTATE YOUR LIFE. DON’T COMPARE YOUR DREAM AND VISION TO WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS OR HAS NOT. DO YOU WANT THE APPROVAL OF MEN OR OF GOD? LET JESUS CHRIST BE OUR MODEL, THIS WAY WHEN WE ALL FALL SHORT, WE CAN HOLD ON WITH THE GRACE OF GOD AND WORK AT BECOMING THE IMAGE OF GOD AND NOT SOMEONE ELSE.

IF WE ARE TO AVOID THE COMPARISON TRAP WE MUST NOT RESIST THE CHANGE THAT THE LORD NEEDS TO MAKE IN US.

ILLUSTRATION-

STORY TOLD OF A FATHER WHO HAD A SON THAT WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD AND STILL SUCKING HIS THUMB HE WOULD CALL HIM THUMBSUCKER, BABY THUMBSUCKER, IT JUST GOT WORST. THE LORD ONE DAY CONVICTED THE FATHER ABOUT THE NAMES AND SAID, I DON’T CALL YOU NAMES WHEN YOU FALL SHORT. STOP CALLING HIM NAMES, YOU ARE HURTING HIM. HE BEGAN CALLING HIM MR. WONDERFUL INSTEAD. WATCHING HIS SON STILL SUCKING HIS FINGER , INSTEAD OF CALLING HIM BAD NAMES CALLED HIM MR. WONDERFUL. THE BOY QUICKLY OUT GREW THE THUMBSUCKING.

WATCH OUT WE DON’T BECOME OR THOSE AROUND US BECOME WHAT WE CALL THEM.

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST JESUS WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.

SUCCESS IN LIFE IS NOT A MATTER OF BEING INFERIOR OR SUPERIOR.

IT IS SIMPLY BECOMING THE BEST OF WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO BE.

MAN THAT TAKES THE PRESSURE OFF

“DON’T CONFORM YOURSELF ANY LONGER TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD. BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND”

CHANGE- GODLY CHANGE IS THE GIFT OF SELF AWARENESS.

PROVERBS 12:1- WHOEVER LOVES DISCIPLINE LOVES KNOWLEDGE, BUT HE WHO HATES CORRECTION IS foolish.

THERE’S THAT WORD AGAIN

I DON’T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING, BUT I AM BEING CAREFUL (DOESN’T MAKE SENSE)

EXAMPLE-

CROSS YOUR ARMS- GO THE OTHER WAY

RIGHT HAND ON NOSE- LEFT HAND ON RIGHT EAR (REVERSE IT)

IT DON’T GO EASY, WHEN WE GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE.

EXAMPLE:

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE MOVIE MONSTERS INC.? THEY ARE POWERING THE CITY BY SCREAMS DID NOT MEAN TO HURT ANYBODY, JUST NEEDED TO DRAW THAT POWER. THEY LEARNED THAT THEY COULD GET MORE POWER BY CREATING LAUGHTER.

WE GET THE JOB DONE, BUT SOMETIMES IT IS LESS PAINFUL IF WE DO IT ANOTHER WAY.

IT IS NO DIFFERENT IN THE WORKPLACE OR IN THE CHURCH.

WE MUST NEVER COME TO THE PLACE THERE IS NOT ROOM FOR ONE MORE PERSON.

CHANGE IS UNEASY, IN ALL AREAS OF OUR LIFE. WE MUST LEAVE THE PAST, ENGAGE THE PRESENT, AND CREATE THE FUTURE.

HUMANS BEINGS ARE SPONGES THAT DRAW WHATEVER IS AROUND THEM. WE MUST GET GODLY THINGS AROUND US AND DRAW THEM IN.

THE MORE JESUS REIGNS IN OUR LIVES, THE MORE PEOPLE WILL BE DRAWN TO THE JESUS IN US.

THE CRISIS DID NOT BEGIN WHEN PRAYERS WERE REMOVED FROM SCHOOLS, IT BEGAN WHEN WE STOPPED PRAYING

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO HANG ON- WE MUST MOVE FORWARD

IF YOU ARE GOING TO AVOID THE COMPARISON TRAP:

III. REALIZE WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST

LEADERS SHOULD CHOOSE TO BECOME BETTER AT WHAT THEY ARE GOOD AT-

TO GATHER PEOPLE AROUND US THAT CAN HELP US DO THAT

REALIZE IN YOU AS A BELIEVER IN CHRIST, THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE. IF THE BIBLE DOES NOT BRING CHANGE, IT IS NOT BEING ENGAGED. GOD CAN AND WILL CHANGE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE.

CLOSING:

YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE. DON’T LOOK AT THE WORLD FOR YOUR SELF WORTH, UNDERSTAND WHAT COST THE LORD HAS ON YOU.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:24-27

DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT IN A RACE ALL RUNNERS RUN, BUT ONLY ONE GET’S THE PRIZE. RUN IN SUCH A WAY AS TO GET THE PRIZE

FOR IT IS NOT THE ONE WHO COMMENDS HIMSELF WHO IS APPROVED, BUT THE ONE WHOM THE LORD COMMENDS.