2 CORINTHIANS 10:12 – Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

THEME OF THE DAY. KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS. Comparisons. We do them all the time. I won’t list examples. Just do a quick mental checklist in your own life and see how frequent and wide comparisons are made in your life. And more times than not, this is a good thing. It allows us to be wise in making purchases, prudent in investments, and healthy in simple things like comparative food shopping. However there are times when comparisons are not good. In fact, very bad and unhealthy. Do another mental checklist and think of those comparisons which are anything but good and healthy. Comparisons abound in our lives and even in our spiritual lives and that lead us to the theme of today’s nugget flowing from today’s scripture.

The place causing the greatest damage in our lives and to avoid at all cost is in the spiritual realm. And it involves comparing ourselves with other Christians in spiritual growth and maturity. Let’s consider two spiritual comparisons that happen among Christians and then look at the cure to both.

First, we may compare ourselves with Christians who seem to display more maturity and spiritual growth than ourselves. Left alone, our remaining sin will take this comparison and may do a couple of things; cause us to commit the sin of jealousy/envy when we realize we aren’t where they are spiritually. Or this spiritual comparison will lead us to discouragement because we aren’t where they are spiritually.

Another form of comparison is the opposite of the first. We may find ourselves lining up against Christians who struggle or are not as advanced in spiritual growth as ourselves. Danger time! Danger time! If we go there, the ugly sins of self-righteousness, pride, and a condescending attitude will poison our souls. We will quickly go from Christians seeking Christ to Pharisee-looking people focusing on ourselves. There is only one cure for this and that is what brings us to the application of today’s nugget.

If we want to avoid sinful spiritual comparisons, strive to keep our eyes on the One who is to be the only object of our spiritual comparison – the Lord Jesus. The writer of Hebrews directs us “to look unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Pray daily for the Spirit of God to draw us to Christ to evaluate our spiritual lives with Him by Him. He is the true measurement of true spirituality. And the more we gaze or compare ourselves with Him, the more humility grows within us. As humility grows, so will dependence on His grace, worship of His Person, and a growing fixation to look upon Him as the only One to compare ourselves with. A life of joy and conformity will flow and the bondage of looking at people will be released from our lives as we look to Jesus.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to measure my spiritual condition and growth by Jesus only”

QUOTE: “Be careful not to let anything or anyone other than Jesus be the ruler by which we measure our Christianity.”