By: Carole L. Haines

            This morning my mind was drifting again into all that I am not and comparing myself to how wonderful I think other people are. I began to spiral down into sadness and the nasty habit of devaluing myself. This is such a destructive habit and is completely against all that God shows us in His Word, both about our value as individuals and our place within the Body of Christ as a whole. So, what is so wrong about comparison?
Firstly, it takes our eyes off Jesus and His view of us, which is the only truly accurate view there is and the only one that matters and can be trusted in our lives.
            For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10 ESV)

Secondly, It drags us back into seeking approval from man rather than getting all our worth and value from the God who made us exactly as we are with His own special purpose in mind.
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 NASB)
 Comparison can cause us to exalt ourselves over others, falling into the sin of thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. We can become conceited and arrogant. We do great harm to others when we exalt ourselves over them.
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3 NASB)

God is the one who gives us our gifts and our measure of faith. He doesn’t think more highly of one over another. He loves us each the same. This is something very hard for us to grasp because we all have favorites, and in certain cases we should. Like the love between a husband and a wife or that of a parent towards all their children equally. Let’s pray and ask for His point of view to always be our own.
Lord, we come to you and ask for your vision to see others with, your heart to love them as you do and your voice to speak truth and encouragement both to ourselves. Teach us to truly love all of those we encounter every day. We ask this in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus. Amen