No Need For Comparison

Everything a person has was given to them (1st Corinthians 4:7).

Every good thing a person has was assigned to them.

When Adonai decides to make a person, He does whatever He wants. He's God! He puts into them whatever He wants. He basically assigns each person with different attributes that reflect who He is. We are made in His image (Genesis 1:27). We are not literally 'self-made,' so we can only take so much credit for the good things we have done.

God is extremely creative. He's very, very interesting. He's an artist. He's a scientist.

Think of the colorful cast of characters that populate your life. The people you went to school with. The people you've worked with. The entertainers you like. Yes, God made them all. They were all His bright idea. Their personalities. Their level of intelligence. Their quirks. I am talking about the precious parts of people. Not necessarily the imperfect parts that are a result of us living in a fallen world.

When you are tempted to compare yourself to someone, in a way, you are contesting El Roi's will. Kind of challenging His creativity. Sort of like having a bone to pick with Him.

He decided to assign people with certain abilities. Propensities. Aptitudes. Interests. Competencies. Talents. Appetites. Capacities. Gifts. Knacks. (James 1:17)

Ideally, when we recognize these things in people, it will direct us right back to The Father of Lights as we praise and glorify Him for his creativity and strategy.

Yes. Ideally, when we recognize the accomplishments of others, we also recognize the One who gave them the ability, propensity, aptitude, interest, competency, talent, appetite, capacity, gift, and or knack to do that thing. We can soundly acknowledge what someone has achieved as they persevere through any obstacles on the way towards doing what is in them to. do while idolizing their Creator instead of them (Leviticus 19:4).

As an athlete, you simply cannot compare yourself to someone who was assigned a greater bone density than you or greater amount of lean muscle tissue or someone taller or shorter. Professional boxing, for example, recognizes different weight classes.

As a singer, you simply cannot compare yourself to someone assigned a different tone, timbre , and range than you. The sound of your voice was Yah's idea. As a young student, you simply cannot compare your clothes you've been wearing for years to those of someone always wearing the newest and latest thing that was born in a family that could afford to do that.

Again, taking 1st Corinthians 4:7 as inspiration, we are gifted with certain leanings and circumstances. Also, we know The Lord gives us things based on what those before us have done (Exodus 20:5 , Exodus 34:7, Genesis 9:12, & Genesis 17:7).

Take a look at what these verses say. It definitely gives us more information on how El Shaddai operates. How He feels. If you tend to struggle with something, it may not have anything to do with you or anything you've done. If you excel at something , it may not have anything to do with you or anything you've done. Generational curses and blessings are another reason why we shouldn't compare ourselves to others.

We all know examples of different things, for better or for worse, that 'run in the family.'

El Olam even said His gifts are granted without repentance(Romans 11:29). So that means you don't even have to believe in Him or acknowledge Him to receive His gifts. He won't take them back. Even if a gift becomes stifled, it is not Him doing the stifling.

People should definitely be acknowledged for choosing to persevere through hard obstacles. We should definitely be acknowledged for doing well at things that are personally hard for us to do. Everyone is not challenged by the same thing or graced to do the same thing.

The King said He has given us power, love, and a sound mind( 2nd Timothy 1:7). We are given a sound mind so we can think and solve all sorts of problems for ourselves and other people. This is how we earn a living. Through earning money for solving some sort of problem for other people. A person cannot glorify themselves alone for being capable of solving complex problems. Not when the mind and neural circuitry used to devise such plans and concoct solutions was handed to you.

Giving too much credit to people leads to idolatry and even obsession. So it is best that we give credit where it is due and praise the One from whom all blessings flow(Psalm 138:1).

The next time you are tempted to compare yourself to someone, take several steps back and consider how that person's trajectory was influenced by God's concept of who He wanted them to be when he dreamed them up, what obstacles they have had to overcome, and how the decisions made by others have also contributed.