Comparison Does Bad Things to the Soul

Comparison is the root of most misery we feel in life, doesn’t it not? It’s an absolute pernicious snare of the soul because it produces a sense of inferiority and insecurity. It erodes our sense of worth and self-esteem. Comparison has with it an insidious side to it. By comparing ourselves with people, we perceive them to be inferior to us; then we are filled with pride and superiority. Simply put, living, by comparison, produces a fragile soul.

Where Comparison Comes From

1. Misplaced Identity

One of the causes of comparison is our misplaced sense of identity. Lots of factors contribute to our disordered sense of self (Parents, friends, experience, Satan, hurts). 

So much of our unhappiness comes from comparing our lives, our friendships, our loves, our commitments, our duties, our bodies and our sexuality to some idealized and non-Christian vision of things which falsely assures us that there is a heaven on earth. When that happens, and it does, our tensions begin to drive us mad, in this case, to a cancerous restlessness.

Ronald Rolheiser, Forgotten Among the Lilies

2. Vocational Achievements

For many people, comparison arises in their careers. Comparing others’ successes and accomplishments produce insecurity. 

3. FOMO

The Fear Of Missing Out robs us of joy and gratitude. Especially in a connected world, we are ever aware of the lives others are living around us. If we are not careful, we will compare the monotony of our existence up against the litany of the spectacular, and it creates a deep dissatisfaction in our lives.

The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.

Steven Furtick

The Remedy to the Comparison Trap

When we recognize that our true and functioning identity is that we are in Christ and all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 1:3) are offered to us, it frees us. No longer do we need to compare and to find our sense of worth because Jesus’ love settles it for us. 

Jon Tyson, in his book The Burden is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success sheds some light on our identity in Christ through the means of Scripture. In Christ….

I Am Accepted

I Am Secure

• I am free from condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2)
• I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances. (Romans 8:28)
• I am free from any condemnation brought against me, and I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:31–39)
• I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God. (2 Corinthians 1:21–22)
• I am hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-4)
• I am confident that God will complete the good work he started in me. (Philippians 1:6)
• I am a citizen of heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
• I have not been given the spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
• I am born of God, and the Evil One cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)

I Am Significant

• I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of his life. (John 15:5)
• I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)
• I am God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
• I am a minister of reconciliation for God. (2 Corinthians 5:17–21)
• I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 2:6)
• I am God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
• I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)

Imagine If…

What would happen to your spiritual confidence, joy, peace, and contentment if you began to live out of the staggering truths contained in this list instead of seeking to achieve satisfaction by what you can accomplish in comparison with others? What if you stopped measuring yourself by what you see on social media and in the lives of your friends and let these truths shape your path? What would happen if you lived for the upward call and made that call, instead of horizontal comparison, the measure of your success?

Imagine if these truth took root in your life, well you would be more present to those you love around you and will begin to notice things happening around you. You can celebrate others’ success and delight in their favor rather than feeling like you’ve been overlooked or diminished in some way. Your envy would vanish into love as you realize you are on the same team and seeking the same goal, and you wouldn’t recognize others as a threat. You may even find you are being liberated from the tyranny of comparison in your life.