The second example is found in the Parable of the Lost Son. We all should know the story. A father has two sons. One asks for his inheritance and goes off into the world to spend it on lascivious living. The other stays at home and works the father's land. After squandering the entire inheritance, the first son literally finds himself living in the pig pen and decides to return home to his father humbled by his poor life choices. The father runs to greet him and starts to celebrate because his lost son is now found -- a perfect picture of the salvation we enjoy now that we have left the pig pen of the world and have come back to God the Father. God could have let the story end there and it would have been beautiful but He had more to teach us. Because upon the prodigal's return, the other brother began to compare himself to his brother. He was offended by the celebration for his brother:
"The older brother was angry and wouldn't go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, "All these years I've slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!' -- Luke 15: 28-30 (NLT)
The point God is making is that while the lost son was now found, the son who had stayed with the father was actually lost. We cannot serve God out of a sense of duty. But here is the other danger from the temptation of comparison -- the same anger and resentment that Joseph's brothers turned on their sibling, here is turned on God! The enemy wants us comparing ourselves to others because he knows that our flesh tendency is to feel slighted, or put upon. Our flesh nature is to feel that somehow we are not being treated as well. Once Satan has accomplished that, the only question is which direction the jealousy, resentment and anger will go. It will either go horizontally into others in our lives, opening up many other avenues to sin or it will go vertically to God Himself. Either way the result is clear. It drives a wedge between ourselves and God. We too can have the spirit of the other brother in our walk with the Lord. We can tend to confuse our service unto God with our walk. When we do that, man can always hurt us and we can then transfer that hurt to God. I have seen it all the time where people get hurt in ministry and they let it affect their personal walk with the Lord. One of the ways we get hurt is to compare ourselves to others within the church. We can feel that we should be promoted in ministry. That we are more committed, or God forbid think that we are more holy. We can be blessed with a gift, such as singing and feel if we are not on the front line of the choir that the church must somehow not be appreciating our call. God is not interested in your ability -- He is interested in your availability! Just look at the people God uses in the Bible! David was the least of seven sons. Moses had a speech impediment and was a murderer. The Apostles were mostly simple fisherman and by all accounts they were not very good at that either! The secret to your call is never skill and ability but it always obedience and humility. Comparisons only build a sense of false self-righteousness, resentment and if not addressed; anger. The result will be a wedge between yourself and God.
Thankfully, God always provides the answers in His Word. Going back to the key verses God provides us with His answer to us when we feel the spirit of the other brother rising up in us. He gives us two declarative statements to combat the temptation of comparison. The first statement God is saying to us today is -- what is that to you? God wants us to examine what our motivation is in comparing ourselves to someone? Where is our focus? The devil wants us looking at anything except Jesus! Remember it was only when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus that he began to sink.
Is God sovereign in our lives or not? If He is then the decisions He makes should be final. We can fall into the trap of placing too much value in this life. The spirit of comparison is a questioning spirit. It is a doubting spirit. Joseph's brothers questioned why Joseph was the favorite and such petty things as a colorful coat made them bitterly envious. The prodigal's brother doubted the father's blessings upon his brother. He felt that he deserved them more. That he had suffered more. But here is the difficult question we all must face today. What if the role you are so unhappy with is the intended role God has for you? Can you learn to be content simply by being in His perfect will? Doesn't God have the right to decide who plays what part:
No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?" When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. -- Romans 9: 20-22 (NLT)
Realize today that when we are comparing ourselves to others we are essentially arguing with God. God is working on each one of us. We are a work in progress. We are on His potter's wheel and He is trying to shape us into the true image of His Son to do great works for His glory that He has already prepared for us! When we start to compare we hop off of the potters wheel and start to question what God is doing. We think we are asking about the other person but we are really asking about ourselves! The prodigal's brother was more upset about how he felt he had been treated not his brother. He obviously had developed years of bitterness about working for his father. Joseph's brothers were clearly upset with the favoritism but they were more upset in the heart that they were not the favorite. Even the Apostles seemed to be constantly arguing over which one of them was the greatest! So when we feel the urge to look at someone else in our church or our ministry and feel slighted somehow picture Jesus saying to us -- what is that to you? When someone advances before us, someone appears more blessed than we are, or any other means of comparison starts to crop up -- what is that to you? Sometimes in the church we spend too much time worrying about other people's walks. We can fall into this trap because it is far more comfortable to look at someone else then to look in the mirror. You ever know someone who always has a verse or a devotional for someone else? "Oh this Word was for so and so That is a spirit of comparison and Jesus is saying to us all today -- what is that to you?
The second declarative statement is the simple solution for all of this -- as for you"follow me. Peter -- stop looking at John and just follow me. Sons of Jacob -- stop looking at Joseph and follow me. Prodigal's brother -- stop looking at your brother and follow me. And whoever else this devotional is speaking to -- stop looking at your fellow congregants. Stop looking at your brother and sister. Stop looking at your pastor, stranger or friends. Jesus is saying to us today -- as for you"follow me.
