Consider three objects: a hammer, a wheel, and a light bulb.
Which one is better?
It’s a bit of an absurd question, because none of them bear any particular similarity to the others, and yet, each one serves a useful purpose.
The hammer helps us build things by connecting other parts together.
The wheel helps us move things from one place to another more quickly and easily.
The light bulb illuminates the darkness and helps us to see things more clearly.
How ridiculous would it be if one day, the hammer grew jealous of the wheel’s ability to roll with ease? Or if the wheel fell into a deep depression because it didn’t illuminate like a light bulb? What if the light bulb decided to stop lighting up and instead tried hitting nails as powerfully as a hammer?
Comparison and envy between a hammer, a wheel, and a light bulb is patently absurd. Even more so is the idea that one should try and be more like another.
Is this any different than when we compare ourselves to someone else or try to be someone we’re not?
Hint: no.
God is infinitely creative, making each of His children as distinct from one another as a hammer is from a wheel and a light bulb. In the same way, each of us has a unique and useful role to play in His kingdom.
One of the devil’s best tricks is getting us to compare ourselves to one another.
It’s absurd!
And yet we do it all the time. The real shame is when it leads us to stop doing the thing God made us for to be more like something he didn’t.
When we are distracted by paying attention to everyone else, comparing ourselves to everyone else, and keeping up with everyone else, we lose our joy. We’re not living in harmony with God’s purpose for our life. And we’re left with a world of originals that have devolved into photocopies.
If we understood that we’re as distinct from one another as the hammer, wheel, and light bulb are from one another, we’d realize how patently absurd it would be to compare ourselves. And we’d see how foolish it is to abandon our purpose to imitate someone else and beat ourselves up for falling short.
Rather than feel jealousy, we’d be overjoyed to see everyone else thriving in their purpose.
It all boils down to this:
I can’t do your thing.
You can’t do my thing.
Don’t waste time comparing your thing to my thing.
Get busy doing your thing.
And praise God when you see someone else doing theirs.
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