Comparisons
I used to spend a lot of time comparing myself to other people. I see that in my kids now. They want to see who is the fastest, who is the smartest, who is the tallest, etc. It gets so out of hand that they have adopted one of the phrases that Mindy and I say to them all the time, "It's not a competition." You know which one says it the most? It's the one who is losing. :)
I still compare myself to people all the time. I'm just more selective and hidden about it. Whenever I hear about someone who works at a church I always wonder what they are better at than me. Then I start to make a mental list of why I am good at what I do. Then I start to get jealous and upset. Finally I do my best to stop thinking about it and just enjoy doing what I am good at.
In Galatians 6:2-5 Paul writes, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."
I think it's fascinating that Paul starts off by saying "carry each others burdens" and then concludes by saying "each one should carry his own load." In one case we need to help people carry something. In another case we need to carry it by ourselves. I guess that means that a burden is different from a load. If I knew Greek I could look up the original words that Paul used there and make some huge theological contribution to the whole thing, but alas I am taking Hebrew for now. I could guess that a burden would be something that is just too big for us to carry by ourselves. Then a load would be something that we should be able to carry alone.
When we are comparing ourselves to others it is hard not to be in competition with them or with our thought of them. Comparing is not what we are commanded to do. We are commanded to carry not to compare. Comparing seems to run in direct opposition to carrying. When I meet someone I should think more about the burden that they are carrying and how I can help. That would be much more important than sizing them up and seeing which one of us is faster in a 100m dash.
I still compare myself to people all the time. I'm just more selective and hidden about it. Whenever I hear about someone who works at a church I always wonder what they are better at than me. Then I start to make a mental list of why I am good at what I do. Then I start to get jealous and upset. Finally I do my best to stop thinking about it and just enjoy doing what I am good at.In Galatians 6:2-5 Paul writes, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."
I think it's fascinating that Paul starts off by saying "carry each others burdens" and then concludes by saying "each one should carry his own load." In one case we need to help people carry something. In another case we need to carry it by ourselves. I guess that means that a burden is different from a load. If I knew Greek I could look up the original words that Paul used there and make some huge theological contribution to the whole thing, but alas I am taking Hebrew for now. I could guess that a burden would be something that is just too big for us to carry by ourselves. Then a load would be something that we should be able to carry alone.
When we are comparing ourselves to others it is hard not to be in competition with them or with our thought of them. Comparing is not what we are commanded to do. We are commanded to carry not to compare. Comparing seems to run in direct opposition to carrying. When I meet someone I should think more about the burden that they are carrying and how I can help. That would be much more important than sizing them up and seeing which one of us is faster in a 100m dash.
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