When are comparisons appropriate or beneficial? - Comparisons - TouchPoints

When are comparisons appropriate or beneficial?

Romans 8:18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.

Philippians 3:8Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ

Comparisons are appropriate when they guide you to better understanding of God’s perspectives and priorities.

2 Chronicles 30:7-8Do not be like your ancestors and relatives who abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as you yourselves can see. Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the Lord.

Psalm 78:8Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

1 John 3:12We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was right.

Comparisons are beneficial when they help you learn from others’ mistakes and avoid making the same mistakes.

Matthew 6:5-8, 32And now about prayer. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly. Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! . . . Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs,

Comparisons can be helpful in learning and understanding how God wants you to live. It is almost never helpful to compare yourself to a specific individual, but it can be helpful to study the behavior of categories of people in order to learn from them.

2 Corinthians 8:7-8Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.

Comparisons can be beneficial if they encourage you to excel in ministry.