Dangers Of The Comparison Game

Do you play the comparison game with others over spending time with Jesus?

It is so easy to get caught in the trap of what our devotions “should” look like based upon what other believers are doing.  We look at how much time they spend reading their Bible or praying every day and measure ourselves against “that standard” to determine whether we pass or fail.

We tell ourselves things like, “If I don’t read my Bible for an hour every day, I must not be committed to Jesus.”  Or we question our salvation, saying, “Am I really born-again even though I didn’t pray that much this week?”

Spending time with Jesus looks different for every believer, based on several factors.  That is why the comparison game is so dangerous.  Ultimately, it only ends up sabotaging our spiritual growth because our feelings of “not measuring up” keep us from doing the very things we need to build it!

So, the next time you start comparing yourself to others, remember this:

• Spending time with Jesus is not a competition.

  We do not earn points with Jesus by surpassing others in the Bible reading and prayer departments.  Instead, we should enjoy the spiritual growth journey these practices produce within us.

• Spending time with Jesus is about quality, not quantity.

  Make the time count reading God’s Word and praying.  Fifteen to thirty minutes of quality, uninterrupted time with Jesus can be more fruitful than sixty to ninety minutes of “information overload.”

 
Investing in our relationship with Jesus daily is not a matter of checking off a box on our Christian to-do list.  It is a commitment to position ourselves for the Holy Spirit to do spiritual work within us.  This growth primarily occurs when we commune with God through His Word, biblical teaching, and prayer.

Will you commit to reminding yourself of these things the next time you are tempted to play the comparison game?