Comparison

“…do not fret when people succeed in their ways…”

Psalm 37:7 | NIV

Comparison is the worst, yeah!?

I’m not one to take passages out of context, so let me admit to you that the end of this verse continues “…when they carry out their wicked schemes.” However, I’m willing to bet this scripture would still be on target for God’s heart for us whether the successful people we compare ourselves to are righteous or wicked.

The truth is, social media is full of people who look successful and comparison is the first step on a slippery slope to envy, lust, greed, consumption, discontent and disconnection with our identity.

The truth is, some of these successful people are righteous—they’ve been serving God faithfully for years on end and what you’re seeing is the harvest of a life well planted and cultivated over years and years of loyal stewardship. If you haven’t been tilling the soil of your heart daily for years on end, don’t expect your fruit to look like theirs…yet. Just keep planting, keep watering, keep tilling. 

But maybe more common are those with “wickedness” woven into the tapestry of their online presence—they too are fueled by greed and comparison, they are insecure in their identity and calling, they have a shallow faith life (or none at all) outside the public eye, they build up an image but are slaves to their phones, emotionally absent in key relationships at home. They have the shadow of fruit, but no substance.

To compare ourselves to “wicked” people and to “fret” over their wins is useless. Who cares if you can look as good, play as good, have what they have, go where they go, eat what they eat and experience what they experience if you too have to sacrifice your soul.

Psalm 37:7 actually begins with “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” so waiting patiently on the Lord may mean resisting the urge to be impulsive, refusing to wear a “mask,” choosing to look at the unique blessings you enjoy that they cannot, celebrating the successes of the righteous and seeing through the façade of the wicked’s trophies.

Waiting is strength. Patience is Kingdom. Trust in God to supply your needs is Jesus. Never be ashamed of waiting on Him.

🐑