“The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” —1 Corinthians 3:8 NLT
Last weekend, my daughter was sick. She slept most of Saturday and woke up feeling guilty that nothing fun had been planned for her family. She scrolled through Facebook and came upon pictures of a friend and her family enjoying the beach—and my daughter’s sadness deepened. Just look at that family having the best time ever on the beach! And here she sat at home. Later, she happened to chat with the “beach” friend and told her how she envied her and her wonderful family outing. The friend quickly set her straight. Evidently, the outing had been exhausting. The friend was coming down with something and just wanted to go home and crawl into bed—exactly what my daughter had done. They both had a good laugh over their mutual desire to do what the other had done!
Isn’t that just so typical of us humans? From the outside looking in, someone else’s life looks better than ours. We want what they have. We only catch glimpses of reality in passing glances and on social media. The reality is that life is hard for all of us and no one has it bright and shiny all the time. We need to stop comparing.
In the book of Corinthians, we read that the church there also had a comparison problem. Factions had grown up revolving around personalities. Some in the church favored a preacher named Apollos, known to be quite eloquent. Some favored Peter, who, after all, had walked personally with Jesus. Others were loyal to Paul, who first shared the gospel with them. Paul wrote a letter to this church and called a halt to such silliness. Comparisons and choosing favorites should not be happening in the Christian family.
I love our verse, today. “The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work.” When we talk about comparison within Christian circles, we need to remember that we are all working toward a common purpose. Pleasing Jesus. Living out His purpose for our lives.
The part I want to highlight, though, is the last part of the verse. We will be rewarded for our own hard work. God is not comparing us. God sees us uniquely and has a specific plan for each one of us. He’s interested in each of us doing the work He has assigned. We don’t have to look like anyone else. We just need to walk the path marked out for us. What a relief! If we are sick and can’t provide a fun time at the beach for our family, no problem. Our story is different from another person’s. We’re to do the best we can with what we have been given.
Let’s cancel comparison! Instead, let’s focus on living our lives leaning on Jesus at all times, allowing Him to shape us into the best “us” we can be. You have a story that has equipped you for certain tasks. No one else has your exact history. You be you, aligned with Jesus today. And I’ll be me. And let’s laugh together, like my daughter and her friend, recognizing that we do best when we aren’t comparing but simply living out God’s plans for us.
Heavenly Father, help me to avoid the comparison trap. Remind me often that I work for You, my good, good Abba. Enable me to do the work assigned me, to receive the path You have for me, and to cheer for friends who walk down their own paths from You, recognizing that we each have purpose where You have planted us. Thank You for caring for each of us so dearly. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
You are loved,
Sharon
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
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