A friend of mine in Facebook posted in her status a message that caught my attention and caused me to take a brief contemplation about it. Her status message, which I believe is a quote from an author, read as follows:
"Don't compare yourself with anyone else in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself."
"Don't compare yourself with anyone else in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself."
The act of comparing ourselves with others is as natural as our instincts. No matter how we intend not to do it, yet our subconscious mind seems to do it on its own. Take for instance in a formal community gathering, people of different social class will tend not to mix together but rather they tend more to instinctively group according to their social status in the community.
Taken with a negative mindset, comparing one's self with others could of course result into something bad. If one thinks of himself/herself as inferior to others, then subconsciously he/she will feel insecure of himself/herself and as a result he/she will tend to avoid others. Or, if one believes he/she is better than anyone else, then he/she will project an attitude of superiority towards others and as a result he/she will tend to look down on others.
If the process of comparing stops at only finding who is better or who is worse, then comparison becomes a bad thing. To the person with an arrogance complex, it can become a tool for false self-confidence. To the person with an inferiority complex, it is a self-destructive defense mechanism for mediocrity.
But in comparing one's self to others, not everything there is can be negative. Comparison can also be a good tool for self-improvement. To be able to use it for good requires, first and foremost, that one recognizes and understands that in the eyes of God all human beings are created equal -- stripped of all the adornments of materialism, we all are dust and unto dust we all shall return. Secondly, one must realize that no matter what level or status you may be at in life, always there are people who are higher than you as well as people who are lower than you.
In a healthy comparison of yourself with others, you do not only look for what's better and what's not better in the qualities between you and the person you compare yourself with, but also you assess both of your qualities based on God's standard. Bear in mind that the rewards in the life hereafter are not based on who you are in this temporal life or on what have you achieved for yourself. The greatest human equalizer is in knowing "whose we are", and the greatest achievement there can be is in serving God and our fellowmen according to the divine standards.
Therefore, let's not be afraid to compare ourselves, but comparing using God's standard that we may improve ourselves and we may "outdo" one another in the giving of genuine godly love as the Lord Jesus did.
Have a blessed and joyful Christmas one and all.
Taken with a negative mindset, comparing one's self with others could of course result into something bad. If one thinks of himself/herself as inferior to others, then subconsciously he/she will feel insecure of himself/herself and as a result he/she will tend to avoid others. Or, if one believes he/she is better than anyone else, then he/she will project an attitude of superiority towards others and as a result he/she will tend to look down on others.
If the process of comparing stops at only finding who is better or who is worse, then comparison becomes a bad thing. To the person with an arrogance complex, it can become a tool for false self-confidence. To the person with an inferiority complex, it is a self-destructive defense mechanism for mediocrity.
But in comparing one's self to others, not everything there is can be negative. Comparison can also be a good tool for self-improvement. To be able to use it for good requires, first and foremost, that one recognizes and understands that in the eyes of God all human beings are created equal -- stripped of all the adornments of materialism, we all are dust and unto dust we all shall return. Secondly, one must realize that no matter what level or status you may be at in life, always there are people who are higher than you as well as people who are lower than you.
In a healthy comparison of yourself with others, you do not only look for what's better and what's not better in the qualities between you and the person you compare yourself with, but also you assess both of your qualities based on God's standard. Bear in mind that the rewards in the life hereafter are not based on who you are in this temporal life or on what have you achieved for yourself. The greatest human equalizer is in knowing "whose we are", and the greatest achievement there can be is in serving God and our fellowmen according to the divine standards.
Therefore, let's not be afraid to compare ourselves, but comparing using God's standard that we may improve ourselves and we may "outdo" one another in the giving of genuine godly love as the Lord Jesus did.
Have a blessed and joyful Christmas one and all.
