Humans have a habit of making comparisons. In some cases, this is justified, such as I need to buy a car, and I want it to fit my needs—like hold my golf clubs easily, get good gas mileage, and look cool—so I make my pros and cons list, compare them, and then buy the best option. Comparisons are good when in the buying market.
But we have a bad habit of comparing humans to humans, and this never ends well. We often judge the quality of our lives by what others share with us (whether in person or via social media), and much of the time, our lives come up wanting. Others are traveling, enjoying friends, and posting low golf scores while we are stuck at home paying for home repairs and wondering where our golf swing went.
As Christians, however, we often do the opposite. Too often (even though deep down we know this isn’t true) we compare ourselves to others and conclude that we have lived or are living a more righteous life than our neighbor, and, therefore, are held in higher esteem by God.
But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, in Isaiah 66:2, it says: “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
But even more relevant is the reminder that God’s grace and mercy extends to everyone, and Jesus’s cloak of righteousness, spread over us at the moment of salvation, makes everyone of us “whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). We now all look the same to Him—Cleansed.
Which is why I like this saying on my Amish perpetual calendar.
There's one good thing about snow, it makes your fields look as nice as your neighbor’s. (sic) January 12.
For it reminds me that when I start being judgemental or developing a critical spirit, that I, too, am in need of God's grace and mercy, and His willingness to make me “whiter than snow.”
But we have a bad habit of comparing humans to humans, and this never ends well. We often judge the quality of our lives by what others share with us (whether in person or via social media), and much of the time, our lives come up wanting. Others are traveling, enjoying friends, and posting low golf scores while we are stuck at home paying for home repairs and wondering where our golf swing went.
As Christians, however, we often do the opposite. Too often (even though deep down we know this isn’t true) we compare ourselves to others and conclude that we have lived or are living a more righteous life than our neighbor, and, therefore, are held in higher esteem by God.
But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, in Isaiah 66:2, it says: “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
But even more relevant is the reminder that God’s grace and mercy extends to everyone, and Jesus’s cloak of righteousness, spread over us at the moment of salvation, makes everyone of us “whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). We now all look the same to Him—Cleansed.
Which is why I like this saying on my Amish perpetual calendar.
There's one good thing about snow, it makes your fields look as nice as your neighbor’s. (sic) January 12.
For it reminds me that when I start being judgemental or developing a critical spirit, that I, too, am in need of God's grace and mercy, and His willingness to make me “whiter than snow.”
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