Comparing Is the Root of Envy

BY RICK WARREN — SEPTEMBER 24, 2016

“Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else”(Galatians 6:4 TLB).

Comparing is the root of all envy. If you can get rid of comparing in your life, you can get rid of envy in your life.

Here’s the problem: Comparing is our favorite indoor sport. We compare everything. We compare our size, our shape, our color, how we talk, our intelligence. We compare our families, our kids, our jobs, our talents, and even our lawns.

God warns about the foolishness of comparing yourself to anybody else: “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV).

Every time you compare, you’re going to fall guilty to either pride or envy. You’re always going to either find somebody who’s doing a better job than you, and you get full of envy, or you’re going to find that you’re doing a better job than somebody, and you get full of pride. Pride or envy is always the result of comparing. And God says it’s foolish. You shouldn’t do it. You are unique. You are one of kind. You are incomparable.

The Bible says in Galatians 6:4, “Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else” (TLB). 

When you get to Heaven, God is not going to say, “Why weren’t you more like this person or that person?” No! He’s going to ask, “Why weren’t you more like you?” You can’t focus on your purpose while you’re focusing on other people.

When you get to Heaven you’re not going to be judged on talent you didn’t have. You’re not going to be judged on opportunities you weren’t given. You are going to be judged on how you lived and what you did with what you were given.

There’s no need to compare yourself with others. God has called you to be the best you can possibly be given the background, experiences, and talent that he gave you.

Talk It Over

• Instead of looking at others to gauge your value or expectations, where do you need to look?
• When someone you know has a victory or accomplishment or reward, are you able to rejoice with that person? Why or why not?
• What are the gifts and abilities God has given you? How are you using them to be the best version of yourself?