Haunted Me? Comparison!

HAUNTED ME? COMPARISON?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

FEBRUARY IS A MONTH OF THREE DAYS OF CELEBRATION. February 29, 30 and 31 are three days when anything a man says he is right. (Or at least the women allow men to think he is right for these three days?)

MY BROTHER CHARLES AND I WERE BORN IN THE SAME YEAR, HE IN JANUARY, I IN DECEMBER. SO FOR A MONTH AND 2 DAYS WE WERE THE SAME AGE. MY BROTHER CHARLES EDWARD HUGHES WAS A GOOD MAN. HE WAS HARD TO FOLLOW…

One year he was in the eighth grade, I was in the seventh. For Science Fair we had to do a project. I worked for weeks. I wrote over 25 pages about storms. My Uncle Homer helped me make a tornado. We used a vacuum and he made 4 walls with 2 glass sides, 2 sides black wood sides and about a half inch gap at the 4 corners. We had a hot plate at the bottom to boil water and the vapor arose. The vacuum at the top pulled air in through the corners. This made a really cool tornado. Wow, many hours of work and I received an A.

My brother stay up the night before the projects were due and wrote 4 pages about MOLECULES. He took a saucer, a little water and dish detergent and a straw. He blew in the straw and made a few bubbles and talked about how many atoms it took to make a molecule. He received an A+.

My older brother served 12 years in the US ARMY. He was a decorated hero, 2 bronze stars, a silver star etc. He took part in trying to free some prisoners of war. My Dad received a letter from PRESIDENT NIXON about my brother’s heroic role in Vietnam. (Dad says the letter was from when Richard Nixon was good.) Mom and Dad framed the letter and hung the letter in their bedroom. He was in the book of WHO'S WHO, NOT ME…

I was an adult and every time I went into their bedroom that letter haunted me. Not of my brother’s success, but I was a failure. In 1974, I graduated college and started teaching school. But still that letter testified of his heroic efforts… THAT I NEVER ACHIEVED. Where is the applause? WHERE ARE THE TROPHIES? HOW CAN I FIND GOD?

My Dad, my sister and Charles’ daughter stood in the room and watched Charles life ebb away. Charles was 67. Vietnam killed him, Agent Orange. Charles came home and pastored in Indiana and Illinois two decades. Please understand my heart… I am not saying I HAVE FAILED, I AM SAYING HOW STUPID IT IS TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS?

COMPARISON MINDSETS? HOW CAN I FIND GOD? MY OLDER BROTHER WAS A STRAIGHT A STUDENT AND HE RARELY OPENED A BOOK, I HAD TO DIG DEEP WELLS TO FIND WHAT CAME NATURALLY TO HIM.

2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

HOW DOES COMPARING ONE’S SELF BECOME A DEATH TRAP? WHOSE APPROVAL ARE WE SEEKING? DO I SEEK MAN’S APPROVAL? OR GOD’S?

Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

IN INDIA THERE IS A THING CALLED THE CASTE SYSTEM… CASTES ARE RIGID SOCIAL GROUPS TRANSMITTED BY LIFESTYLE, OCCUPATION AND SOCIAL STATUS… THE ELITES ON TOP AND THE UNTOUCHABLES AT THE BOTTOM… THERE ARE 5 CLASSES IN THE CASTE SYSTEM…

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Paul makes a surprising statement; WE ARE ONE, ONE IN UNITY, WE ARE ALL EQUAL. QUIT COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS. WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD BY FAITH. Norms may change but God stays the same. WE ALL HAVE EQUAL VALUE.

THERE IS NOT RANK OR SENIORITY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS…COME CLEAN? DON’T WORRY! CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A COMPETITION. But in all this comparing and grading and competing, we can miss the point. NO COMPARING.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMPARISONS ARE VERY DANGEROUS HABITS AND TRAPS… ALL LIFE SHOULD BE HONORED, RESPECTED AND PROTECTED. WE ALL COME ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD… AND EACH OTHER.