Unfortunately comparing ourselves with one another is a familiar part of our world’s way of life.  We assess the value of our lives, by comparing our exterior appearance, intelligence, behaviors, personalities, spirituality, material goods, and success.  We unwisely compare friends, partners and children by evaluating each other by various differences and similarities.  However the Bible cautions if we choose to partake in the “act of comparing” we will lack in sympathetic understanding toward one another and behave foolishly.  Because when we choose to compare ourselves one or two things is going to happen.  First, if we deem ourselves better than or above the one we pick to compare ourselves with we will descend into pride, smugness, arrogance, conceit, self-importance and superiority.  On the other end of the comparison spectrum when we think we are not as good as, lacking in or less than others this pulls us down into self-hate, self-loathing, self-pity, sadness and inferiority.  So now we understand and recognize why the “act of comparing” is so deadly to our emotional and spiritual advancement.  When our desire is to practically learn to walk in Christ’s love, understanding, tolerance, and humility toward ourselves and others on this earth -we must put an end to evaluating ourselves and others by comparison.  

“However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely” (2Corinthians 10:12b).