"Compared To Who?"

"Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." John 21:21,22 

If we are not careful we tend to judge our Christianity by others. We often use another person as an indication of where we are spiritually. You have heard it, "I am just as good as they are. At least I don't do this or that." 

 

Jesus had just prophesied to Peter about his future and the first thing Peter wanted to know was, "What about John?" He seemed to be more concerned with what Jesus' plan was for someone else than it was for his own life. He judged God's plan for his life by God's plan for someone else.

 

God's plan for us is a corporate plan where we all work together as a "body" to fulfill His plan in the earth. But that plan is accomplished through individuals who make up the whole body. So God has a plan for each of us. Therefore we can't compare God's individual plan for us with His plan for someone else. 

 

God desires spiritual growth for each of us. He wants all His children to grow and mature until we all come unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. But we don't accomplish this by comparing ourselves with one another. We have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We must work at it whether anyone else does or not. We must keep pressing on to maturity no matter who else is or isn't. We must not quit even if we may think we have "arrived" because we are better than someone else or more spiritually mature than another brother or sister in Christ. 

 

The only comparison we can do, the only one that counts, the only One that we are measuring our lives by is Jesus. He is the measuring stick by which we are to judge ourselves. He is the measurement by which we measure our spiritual growth. Are we looking more like Him? Is He the One being seen in us? Can you say that when you have seen me, you have seen Him? Do others see His reflection in you?

 

Have a great day. We cannot compare ourselves with each other and get a true indication of where we are spiritually. Jesus is the only One we can compare our lives to and get a true evaluation.

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 4:13

Romans 12:4

1 Corinthians 12:12,20

Philippians 2:12