Overcoming the Spirit of Comparison-How to Find Your Worth in Christ

Friend, this is an area where I need to be encouraged. As I was sitting and waiting to hear from the Holy Spirit regarding this, I could sense that I may not be the only one crippled by the spirit of comparison. It is such a “normal” emotion to feel since we are human and constantly surrounded by people who are doing wonderful things and moving ahead in life. Somehow, instead of celebrating we instantly look at our own lives and see how somehow what we are doing doesn’t quite match the mountain top of blessing that someone else is experiencing.

We have to stop. In the body of Christ this looks like who has a greater calling than someone else. Or whose life has echoed the greatest response from the Lord. We compare calling and spiritual gifts based on our own scale of what success in God looks like. Comparison is never helpful because God sets the precedence for how our life goes and at what pace. When we compare we don’t actually trust the Lord’s divine plan and timing for our lives.

The first step to overcoming comparison is knowing that your self worth does not come from works, anything anyone says or thinks about you, or anything that the world offers!

It comes from your Heavenly Father who so carefully knit you together in your mother’s womb! If you are fully known and created by God, then how can your worth ever be found anywhere else? Psalm 139 so poetically explains how important you are to the Lord. You are worth something because the God of the universe knows your end from the beginning. You are HIS. Your identity is found in HIM. He knows all that you will be and will accomplish. Your worth comes from your Father who created you, nothing else. Until you can accept this truth, you will struggle in this area. Just like I do even as a “seasoned” Christian.

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
-Psalm 139: 13-16 NIV

When I was a little girl I would find my worth in guys. It would feed my ego when I would walk past a group of guys and notice even just one look at me walking by. Eventually, when the guy stopped caring that I existed it would crush me. I put my trust and worth in someone who would fail me. Someone who could lock eyes with another beautiful girl walking by and forget I even existed. This happens all the time. We place our worth in areas where one little glitch in the system can cause everything to come crashing down.

BUT WITH GOD, He is constant. He is loving and all knowing. He knows the hairs that are on your head. He knows when you rise up for the day and when you are down for the night. You can place your worth in Him because He is trustworthy! He will never get tired of you because you mean everything to Him. 

When I find myself struggling to see myself the way the Lord sees me, I realize I have an issue with trust! For me, it is easy to see my contribution to my local church as less than someone spreading the gospel all over the world with great influence. We measure giftings by how big or small they seem. The reality is, IT IS ALL THE SAME. If I bring someone to Christ and they are saved, heaven rejoices just as loud as someone who ushered thousands into the presence of God. When we compare what was placed on the inside of us to someone else we don’t trust that what the Lord gave us is enough.

What is on the inside of you is unique and special to the call that is on YOUR life. If God didn’t call me to sell all my possessions and do ministry work overseas, then why am I comparing myself to someone that was called for life in the mission field? Doesn’t that sound a little crazy? But we do it all the time. Comparison takes the focus off of the Lord and His kingdom and places the spotlight over us and how good we think we are. I know because I have done this before. We have to trust that the Lord has plans for us to bring HIS name glory! 

When you compare your life to the person next to you, we are really saying, “God, I don’t trust that you have plans to use me like that…”

The lie is that He won’t but the truth is that He will, it just may look different from someone else! The bible says,

"Behold I am doing a new thing, do you not see it?"
-Isaiah 43:19

God is creative, He has a billion ways that He can use us! Why place Him in a box? He is doing a new thing in and through you! Stay in your lane and embrace it friend!

In church on Sunday the pastor spoke about a verse that helped me so much! He said two things that changed everything for me.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."
-1 Corinthians 12:4-6

It is the same spirit that is working in and through all of us to carry out the will and the mission of Christ-meaning different anointing but the same God working through us

• Ex: It is the same spirit that is working in Grammy Winning Gospel Artist CeCe Winans that is working in me when I lead worship at my local church 

Read 1 Corinthians 12:21-26. It is So GOOD! This Passage of scripture highlights the need for every single gift in the body of Christ. I love that verse 21 says,

"The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" It jumps down to verse 25-26 that says, "...there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

All giftings work together to accomplish one purpose-the spreading of the Gospel and bringing others to Christ-meaning WE NEED ONE ANOTHER

• Ex: the local church pastor is just as important as the intercontinental evangelist

When we see someone doing amazing things for Christ, rejoice! It is a win for all of us. There is nothing to compare! The anointing is different but the spirit is the same! We need Pastors just as much as we need the teachers that lead Sunday school. We are all part of the body, performing for an audience of one! We are all working together to accomplish HIS will for our lives.

God is so good because He knew exactly what to place in us to get the Gospel out to everyone willing to hear it. It isn’t about us at all. Yes, God blesses those who are obedient but that isn’t the reason why we should serve Him. It is for His name to get the glory out of everything we do. Even the blessings He decides to give is because HE is good not because someone is better than everyone else.

The beautiful thing is that once you grab ahold to these biblical truth’s about worth and identity, it will leak out into your everyday life. It’ll help you stop comparing yourself to influencers, co-workers, siblings, and friends. Your security is found in Him and that is what will keep you grounded!

Your worth comes from the Lord!

Your identity comes form Him!

Your calling is HIM!

It is the same spirit working in me that is working in you!

There isn’t a thing to compare!