Shiloh Place Ministries
Seeing The World Experience the Father's Healing Love
Through the Hearts of the Leaders
www.shilohplace.org

The Comparison Trap

It's interesting that bad people loved to be with Jesus, but the "good" people wanted to kill Him.  The cause of their enmity was their religious laws.  They were caught in a trap which is also common today.  I call it "the comparison trap."  They looked at each other for their standards, developing intricate systems for measuring who was "in" and who was "out" and so unwittingly turned to self-righteousness.  In doing this, they turned away from God.  

When I was first converted, I was a skilled Pharisee-catcher.  As an idealistic student, I could detect (and judge) religious legalism from a mile away!  This led me to judge many leaders in organized denominations and to determine that I would never be ordained or get involved in paid Christian leadership.  Instead, I sought out radical "living by faith" settings where my zeal for God would carry me through, not my position or my salary.  On the surface, I seemed to be commendably passionate about God; but in truth, I was a tangled mess of judgmental attitudes and self-righteousness.  In those early years, I compared myself to others and was motivated by a desire for spiritual advancement that was more to do with being better than others than about gaining intimacy with God.  In short – I fell into the comparison trap.  The fruit in my life was self-deception as I promoted and embellished my strengths while hiding or denying my weaknesses.  But hereπs a funny thing – even as I tried to put up a successful front, I had a growing sense of failure and increasing distance from God.  

That is the danger of the comparison trap – it has two equally painful jaws that will wound us and hold us captive.  On one side, comparison leads us to compete to be better than others; this results in pride and self-effort.  On the other side, comparison can result in a deep sense of failure and inadequacy which is completely ungodly.  The power of the trap is in the way we look to others for our standards of success and failure, right and wrong. Focusing on others (and focusing on ourselves) distances us from the only source of life – intimate relationship with our loving heavenly Father.  

Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.  For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.  John 5:19-20 (NKJV)  

If I compete to be more spiritual than others, I find myself in direct opposition to my heavenly Father.  He loves losers, not self-centered winners (see Luke 9:23-26; Mark 8:34-38).  My attitude ceases to be like that of Jesus, who knows it is good to be lower and lesser than others (see Philippians 2:5-8).  It is not a good plan to be opposed to God's plan!  

However, I can be just as far from God in false humility as I can in pride.  It is more common for Christians to compare themselves with some "spiritual superstar" and feel inadequate than it is for them to be deceived by pride and self-promotion.  Our need is to experience Father God's unconditional acceptance, and repent for the ungodly belief that we are inadequate.  Can you imagine how much more effective the Church would be if we were not paralyzed by a hellish sense of inadequacy?  

How do we walk free from the comparison trap?  Remember the power of the trap is in looking to others for our values.  As we do this, we say to ourselves (for example), "She's so organized", or "Heπs so successful", focusing on the strengths we see in others.  At the same time, we begin to say of ourselves, "Iπm too disorganized", or "Iπm not as successful as he."  This results in a mindset where "they win, I lose."  Occasionally, we may experience this the other way around, seeing someone less obviously gifted or understanding than we are, and thinking ourselves better.  In either case, we are looking on the surface, which is not how God sees us at all.  

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him.  For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV)  

God's answer for the comparison trap is for us to look to Him and His Word for our affirmation, values, security, and significance.  This is why Shiloh Place emphasizes so much experiencing Father's love and hearing His voice speaking truth to us.  If you recognize you struggle in this area, confide in your spouse or a trusted friend, confessing your unbelief and asking them to pray with you as you ask God for a fresh revelation of His love to keep your eyes fixed on Him.  

In Father's love,  
Mark & Jane Burlinson  

---

PO Box 5
Conway, SC 29528, USA
(843) 365-8990
http://www.shilohplace.org
info@shilohplace.org