Beware Of Compare

Beware of Compare

The other side of comparisons is the fear of what others might think of us. And this fear can cause us to make foolish decisions. Sometimes, for example, we might wear clothes that look great but don’t protect us from the elements. Or we might feel pressured by a person or group to do what we shouldn’t—the desire to enhance our image overrules our common sense (or spiritual sense).

During this competitive stage of the race, we may think that people (other runners, spectators, race volunteers, etc.) are impressed by how fast we’re running, the way we’re passing runners, or by our ability to run through pain. Thinking that way can be dangerous for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is safety. We should run our own races and not worry about what others think about how we look, our running style, or our speed.

That’s basically the lesson of 1 Corinthians 4:2-4:

A person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

The issue, according to Paul, is faithfulness, knowing that God is the only judge of his character and actions who matters. We should live for him, no one else.

The Runner

Hall of Fame college coach Bud Wilkinson was only thirty-one when he became the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma. Over his seventeen years at that university, he amassed an amazing record of 145-29-4, including forty-seven wins in a row, four undefeated seasons, and three national championships. The secret to the success of those teams and for Bud as a coach was simple: The players knew that only one person’s evaluation of them mattered—his.

Anyone who has ever competed in sports understands that every contest has potential distractions for the competitors. For example, athletes can play for themselves, to get glory; that motivation is poison for a team. Some may worry about how their teammates are doing and focus on them instead of on their own performance. Some might play to the other team’s level and get distracted by the poor or dirty play of their opponents. And, of course, some can play to the fans, perhaps a favorite one or two.

Bud worked hard at getting his athletes to focus on themselves, no one else. His players learned that what the fans saw or what other players, teammates, or opponents did was not important. All that mattered was what Bud saw, how he evaluated their individual performances.

Bud understood the principle of not comparing ourselves to others.

The Race

God’s Word tells us how to live, how to run for him. That should be our only performance standard. Comparing ourselves to anything will only confuse or harm us. We may become prideful, thinking highly of ourselves, as these men referenced by Paul: “Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Or we may begin to think we’re worthless when compared to spiritual or moral elites.

God’s message is quite different—he made us, loves us, cheers for us, and is working for our success. We matter to him.

The Result

What does our heavenly Coach want from us? Jesus put it very plainly: “The most important commandment is this: . . . ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

Run for him. Run his race. Don’t compare.

My Story

I love sports. Not just playing, or even just watching; I like to analyze and provide my own commentary. Sports are a part of who I am. I’ve always been an athlete and participated in numerous sports, but in college I only played intramurals and ran to stay in shape. I loved those activities, but I tended to compare myself to others who played. Although I wasn’t on a college team, I wanted to prove that I still was an athlete.

During my junior year I started working with the men’s soccer team. As the only female, I felt a desire to prove myself. That year, I also had my first of two foot surgeries. So during the summer I trained and finished the Chicago Triathlon (Olympic distance). I was proud of my accomplishment but didn’t really enjoy myself because I focused on where I lacked and on the other people (especially my friends) who finished ahead of me. Instead, I should have been happy for how I had done, thanking God for giving me the ability to participate and finish.

The summer after I graduated (and after another foot surgery), I began training for the Chicago Marathon. This time I took a different approach. I decided to run for myself, not to please or beat anyone else. I began to train and signed up for the race without telling anyone. I eventually told my dad so that he could run one more marathon, this time with his daughter. Here and there people would know I was training, but I worked hard to keep it a secret. Why? Because I didn’t want the attention—I wasn’t trying to prove myself anymore. I didn’t want to be compared to anyone. In the end, I loved every second of that marathon.

Comparing ourselves to others is natural and easy, even in our spiritual lives. When we see missionaries or more high-profile Christians, we may feel as if we need to prove that we are good Christians as well. When that happens, we become more concerned about looking good to other believers than about really serving God. But we don’t need to prove ourselves to God. He knows us and loves us, imperfections and all. Instead of living for others, we live for Christ, secure in our relationship with our loving Father.

Dana

Think It Through

1. When have you made a foolish decision based on what someone thought of you?

2. In running, how have you compared yourself to others? How have those comparisons made you feel? How did they affect your performance?

3. What does loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength mean to you?

4. If you believed you only had to please God with your actions, how would that affect your choices, thoughts, and lifestyle?

On Running

When should I ramp up to a high carbohydrate diet?

A high-carbohydrate diet is mainly for endurance runners. Anyone planning to run long distances should have plenty of carbohydrates in the diet. That’s because the most easily accessible form of energy in the body is glycogen—a form of carbohydrate. Having a high-carbohydrate diet for long-duration exercise (more than four hours), high-intensity/medium-duration exercise (one to two hours), and high-intensity exercise (less than one hour) will maintain your glycogen stores and give you consistent energy throughout your running workout.