I hate comparison now. It is so anti-God. Our comments may seem like no big deal, but with them, we side with the enemy.
Here’s how:
When we say we wish we could be like so-and-so, if only we looked like so-and-so, or if we could only do that thing like so-and-so, we are basically saying, “God, how You made me is not good enough. I could have done better in creating myself.” We quit taking joy in how He made us or who He is. After all, He expresses Himself through His creation so if we mean to glorify Him with our lives, then it follows that we must enjoy His creation, which includes ourselves and the beauty found inside of us.
When we call out the goodness in others as well as ourselves and enjoy who we are, we live in grateful worship of a God who creates good things.
It has taken me a long time to learn and live this. For years, I was not at all pleased with the fact that I am an introvert. And a strong introvert at that. I constantly wished I could be like my sister and some of my friends who are naturally outgoing, talkative, social, life-of-the-party types. But eventually I began to enjoy myself as I am. However, this didn’t happen as a result of trying to be like them or boosting my self-esteem. It happened as I discovered God and deepened my relationship with Him. I started finding out the beautiful, unique, mysterious ways He reveals Himself to me and through me as an introvert. I began to enjoy Him, who has all the qualities of both an introvert and an extrovert, and in the process, I began to enjoy who He made me to be.
If you find yourself caught in a web of comparing yourself to others, I think a good place to begin is to thank God for specific aspects of who you are and specific abilities He has given you. Also, spend some time before Him, asking: what do You think about me?
If we are ever to live for Him, we must stop looking to the right or the left and measuring ourselves against others. This only leads to bitterness, envy, and self-hatred. We must look up to Him and start seeing ourselves as He sees us.