We've been studying John 3 this past week in Bible study. Wow, what an incredible gift, this Gospel of John. Just yesterday one of things I talked about was a lesson God continues to teach me about comparing. What an incredibly slow (as in snail-like, sluggishly slow) learner I am. God has to teach me... and then I forget and fall... and He patiently teaches me again.. and again. And somehow, incredibly, He never gives up on me. Another example of His amazing grace. This God of ours--He never quits.
(A friend of mine suggested that I include these thoughts in the blog, so for anybody reading this who is in our Bible study, my apologies--you can just skip this one!) In John 3:22-30, John the Baptist reminds us all of what it means to refuse to compare and instead to seek only to magnify the name of Christ. For one remarkable and brief moment in time, the two greatest preachers the world has ever known were on the stage of history together. What a time that must have been. John and Jesus were in the same area and were baptizing people when a dispute arose. Some of John’s disciples came to him and told him, “Rabbi, He who was with You across from the Jordan, to whom you bore witness--look He is baptizing, and all are going to Him.” In other words, “John,” they tell him, “Jesus is diminishing your crowds and stealing your ministry! What are you gonna do about that!”
Boy, isn’t that so like us? The world and our own sinful natures shout at us to COMPARE! Compare your children. Compare your spouse. Compare your house. Compare your job. Compare your abilities and talents. Compare your good deeds. Compare your behavior. And comparison is always deadly and destructive! Because we either come up short and feel discouraged and envious. Or we feel proud and self-righteous that at least we are waaaaaay better than some other person.
Nope, we all need to ruthlessly eliminate those thoughts of comparison. I love what Mother Teresa said about this: “All of our problems come from looking around rather than up.” Isn’t that so true! The antidote to comparison is looking to Jesus. Don’t look to others. Look to the Savior. Replace comparing with worshipping.
When those ugly thoughts of comparison began to shout at us in our heads, we need to learn to respond as John the Baptist does in these verses: He reiterates what he’d been saying all along: that he is not the Christ and that “a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven... He must increase, but I must decrease."
Don’t we all need that reminder--every single thing in our lives is a gift from Him. How dare we compare when He is the sovereign perfect Gift-giver who knows and loves us infinitely. Whatever gifts He’s chosen to give us--or withhold from us--well, we can know they are a result of His perfect love and are therefore tailor-made for our ultimate good and His glory. We need to start thanking Him for what we do have rather than focusing on what we don’t have.
I can so well remember one occasion when Janie had been unconscious in the hospital in Greenville for nearly 10 days. She had been totally unconscious since the day of the wreck, and despite the repeated attempts to rouse her, there had been no response. Then on this one particular evening, an older man was admitted to the ICU in the room right next to Janie. He too had been in a very serious car wreck, and he too was unconscious. We heard all the familiar sounds we had grown so accustomed to with Janie--the nurses and doctors trying to awaken the patient--shouting “Mr. so and so, wake up! Mr. so and so, can you hear me?”
Don’t we all need that reminder--every single thing in our lives is a gift from Him. How dare we compare when He is the sovereign perfect Gift-giver who knows and loves us infinitely. Whatever gifts He’s chosen to give us--or withhold from us--well, we can know they are a result of His perfect love and are therefore tailor-made for our ultimate good and His glory. We need to start thanking Him for what we do have rather than focusing on what we don’t have.
I can so well remember one occasion when Janie had been unconscious in the hospital in Greenville for nearly 10 days. She had been totally unconscious since the day of the wreck, and despite the repeated attempts to rouse her, there had been no response. Then on this one particular evening, an older man was admitted to the ICU in the room right next to Janie. He too had been in a very serious car wreck, and he too was unconscious. We heard all the familiar sounds we had grown so accustomed to with Janie--the nurses and doctors trying to awaken the patient--shouting “Mr. so and so, wake up! Mr. so and so, can you hear me?”
We had heard that repeated time after time with Janie, but so far, nothing. And then all these complications of fever and infection and lung problems developed for her. It just seemed like it was one obstacle after another. But within just a day or two of his arrival, the man next door to Janie apparently began to regain consciousness. I heard them shouting, “Do you know your name? Mr. so and so, you were in a car wreck and you are in the hospital.”
And I have a terrible confession to make. My heart began to feel a tinge of that hateful comparison and envy. “Why couldn’t that be us Lord? Why couldn’t that be Janie? We have been here 10 long days, why not Janie?”
At that very moment, God brought these and some other verses from John 21 to mind. I’m thankful to say, God stopped me in my tracks. He truly halted me in mid-thought before that emotion could give birth to ingratitude and envy. I immediately asked forgiveness and began to pray for that man and to thank God for what He was doing in his life. And I thanked the Lord for all the ways He had been with us and for us in those past 10 days. So many miracles He had given us. So much love He had showered upon us through family and friends.
At that very moment, God brought these and some other verses from John 21 to mind. I’m thankful to say, God stopped me in my tracks. He truly halted me in mid-thought before that emotion could give birth to ingratitude and envy. I immediately asked forgiveness and began to pray for that man and to thank God for what He was doing in his life. And I thanked the Lord for all the ways He had been with us and for us in those past 10 days. So many miracles He had given us. So much love He had showered upon us through family and friends.
And what could have developed into despair and a deadly root of bitterness was nipped in the bud, and instead God gave us peace and trust and even, believe it or not, thanksgiving in His plan for us. Once again, our faithful, forgiving, relentless Lord transformed a hospital room into a sanctuary of praise. Only God can do that with the likes of unfaithful me. Thank You, Father.
I wish I could say I do this every time comparison rears it's ugly head in my thoughts. Sadly, I don't. Anytime any of us allow comparison and ingratitude to slip into our lives, it always leads to misery. But like I said, God doesn't give up on us slow learners, and He's teaching me to take it to Him the moment those thoughts attack and replace comparing with worshipping. Turning our focus away from ourselves and instead choosing to gaze at the beauty of the Savior... and then rejoicing in His goodness and greatness in your life.
He is an endless feast of joy to be savored, and His sweet taste completely demolishes the bitterness of comparison. "O taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." (Ps.34:8) Taste Him and see... replace comparison with gratitude, and worship the glorious Savior. To God be the glory.
I wish I could say I do this every time comparison rears it's ugly head in my thoughts. Sadly, I don't. Anytime any of us allow comparison and ingratitude to slip into our lives, it always leads to misery. But like I said, God doesn't give up on us slow learners, and He's teaching me to take it to Him the moment those thoughts attack and replace comparing with worshipping. Turning our focus away from ourselves and instead choosing to gaze at the beauty of the Savior... and then rejoicing in His goodness and greatness in your life.
He is an endless feast of joy to be savored, and His sweet taste completely demolishes the bitterness of comparison. "O taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." (Ps.34:8) Taste Him and see... replace comparison with gratitude, and worship the glorious Savior. To God be the glory.
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