A Quick Comparison

Have you ever noticed in the Gospels that when Jesus tells someone to follow Him, the command is simple, as if the rest of the conversation was designed to bring the individual to this basic command? As everything Jesus did, it had a purpose. He is signifying that no matter our past, our present and future need to be focused on Him. Each individual's walk with God is a personal journey, and we should not compare ourselves to others, no matter how tempting it is. In the Old Testament, we don't measure Moses to Jesse, the father of King David, or Zerububaul, the Governor of Jerusalem, during the return from exile? Of course not, yet each man was following the Lord and doing the part Christ had them do. 

When we are tempted to compare our walk with those around us, I have noticed two things. First, we look at others who are farther along in their walk with God and feel as if something is wrong with us and that we haven't figured out the same information as those around us. This often leads the believer to feel as if they are stagnant in their faith. The second is that we look at those around us and see that we are farther along in our walk with God. If the individual who notices this does so and wishes to teach those around them, that is great. However, the issue arises when the individual takes their knowledge and remains spiritually obese and prideful.

  This issue occurred even among the disciples, as the end of the book of John details.

20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." 

John 21:20-22

Occurring immediately after Jesus prophecies the manner of death that Peter will face, Peter turns to the next disciple and says, "Well, what about him?" Here we see Peter looking at the walk of another brother in Christ and wondering what their walk has in store for them. Peter is losing sight of what he should focus on, which is Christ.

Quick to action, Jesus immediately corrects Peter. Peter does not need to know what will happen to the disciple or anyone else because he needs to focus on Jesus. This is the danger of comparing our walk with others. When we do so, we focus on the individual and forget to keep Christ in the center. We try to mimic those who are at a different place in their walk and forget that Christ has a plan for each of us individually. This means that we may learn things at a different time or will read a passage and see it in a different light. As long as the Holy Spirit guides us and not our own biases, it does not matter if we are all at different stages in our walk. If our focus is on Christ, He will teach us what we need to know. It is why Christ so emphatically tells Peter, "You follow Me."

If you find yourself struggling in your walk with God and feel that you are comparing yourself to others, I have one simple suggestion. Don't look around; come before God and ask Him to show you what you need to learn. God actively wants us to pursue Him and wants to teach us. Ask Him to teach you something new in your Bible study; it doesn't matter how small it seems. Ask Him to guide you and see how much more His word comes alive. Ask Him to teach you, and soon you will find yourself not looking around at those walking their own path with God because you will be too focused on what God has to teach you.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex