By David ReayFriday 16 Aug 2019LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 2 minutes
But I don’t consider myself inferior in any way to these “super apostles” who teach such things. I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way. (NLT)
It is common for us to want to be somebody else, to be somewhere else. We wish we were as clever as others, as attractive as others, as successful as others, as saintly as others. Nothing wrong with aspiring to be the best possible person we can be, and nothing wrong with admiring admirable people.
But beware of compulsive comparisons. We are unique human beings and are not meant to be clones of other human beings. In our frantic desire to be someone else we lose sight of who we truly are. We chase the seductive dream and dismiss the God-given reality.
We know that legitimate ambition to be better becomes ungodly discontent when we cease to be thankful for who we are. When we are haunted by anxiety, guilt, and jealousy. When we figure we best serve God as utterly different people.
But God made us so that we are good enough to do what he calls us to do, which may not be what he calls others to do. We won’t discover our calling by playing the comparison game. Paul didn’t seek to become the sort of apostle his readers expected him to be. He was true to himself and thus true to God.
Compulsive comparisons signal the death of true contentment and the dismissal of our true calling.
Blessings
David