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.
1 Corinthians 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
LIFE TRICKS US INTO BAD HABITS AND THOUGHT PATTERNS… COMPARISON IS A TRICK OF OUR ENEMY. COMPARISON IS A JOY STEALER. COMPARISON HINDERS THE MOVE OF GOD….
1 Corinthians 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
When we compare ourselves to others, we agree and lose the plans the enemy has for us. Life is about BEING A BETTER YOU… NOT BEING BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE… IT IS ABOUT FOCUS… MY FRIEND COMPARISON BREEDS SEVERAL ISSUES… WE BECOME NERVOUS, ANXIOUS AND NEGATIVE… GET REAL: DEPRESSION.
LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE? OR WHAT YOU HAVE. LIFE IS ABOUT GOD BEING WITH US, AND US BEING WITH GOD… IF WE COULD HAVE A BURNING BUSH. WE CAN SEE LIFE IS NOT ABOUT ME… WHAT DO YOU HAVE? A STAFF… A ROD…
YOUR ROD AND YOUR STAFF THEY COMFORT ME…
Exodus 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE IN A FIDDLE AND A VIOLIN? Nothing, it is how you play it… Fiddle is BOIL THE CABBAGE DOWN, VIOLIN IS MOZART #7. THE ROD AND THE STAFF ARE THE SAME WAY?
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
COMPARISON HINDERS GOD’S WORK… I CAN’T
Exodus 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
LET US COMPARE: MOSES A ROD… CHANGES BY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH GOD TO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT… A ROD --- ORDINARY --- TO THE ROD OF GOD… WHEN WE MEET THE GREAT I AM WE WILL QUIT ALL COMPARISONS TO BECOME WHAT GOD HAS PLANNED…
Exodus 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
CONCLUSION: In World Literature I read this story. There was a man that had traveled with a circus several years. He was uneducated and very awkward. The poor man seem hard to deal with… He caused problems and difficulty everywhere they traveled. He was an embarrassment to the circus. He was so clumsy and inept and awkward he broke everything he touched. So he was limited in everything. Late one night the poor, awkward man had an encounter with God. IT WAS A WONDERFUL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WHERE HE MET ANGELS AND JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF HAD A PERSONAL VISIT WITH HIM. He was never the same. So the he started attending church and he decided to join a MONASTERY AND BECOME A PRIEST. He so loved Jesus. He wanted the world to know. The man soon became an embarrassment to the whole monastery. He could not learn and seemed to break everything. He want so bad to be the pope, a cardinal, bishop, a priest or at least a deacon. He never qualified and failed every class he took. THE ABBOT of the monastery saw how much he loved the Lord. But there was nothing he could do right. FINALLY THE ABBOT appointed him to be janitor to be a caretaker of the church. The poor man was always so sad all the time. THE ABBOT SAW A GREAT CHANGE IN THE MAN. HE WAS SO HAPPY AND FILLED WITH JOY. One night the ABBOT snuck into the back of the church to see why such a change had occurred. For hours the man tumbled, danced, jumped in praising God. He learned to express his love in worship by tumbling and dancing for Jesus. He would clean and tumble all night. Many heard of this wonderful worship and they would sneak to watch his worship. He quit trying to be like others and learned to express his worship like no one else in that monastery. Many long years the TUMBLING PRIEST SERVED GOD BY CLEANING AND DANCING BEFORE THE LORD… HE QUIT COMPARING HIMSELF TO OTHERS AND ACCEPTED HIS SACRIFICE TO GOD WAS DIFFERENT FROM ANYONE ELSE…
Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
LOVE desires to please God and work from the heart of love for your real for God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
GOD HELPS US TO QUIT COMPARING OURSELVES WITH OURSELVES AND PRACTICE THE CONCEPT OF HONORING AND GLORIFYING GOD.
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING: EARTH’S CRAMMED WITH HEAVEN, AND EVERY COMMON BUSH AFIRE WITH GOD; BUT ONLY HE WHO SEES, TAKES OFF HIS SHOES. THE REST SIT ROUND AND PLUCK BLACKBERRIES, AND DAUB THEIR NATURAL FACES UNAWARE MORE AND MORE FROM THE FIRST SIMILITUDE.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Find me on YouTube.
