One of the most exclusive clubs in the world is to be a president of the United States. Each one has a legacy and way that they’ve run the country. New asters and people alike compare them against each other constantly. I imagine that being in that role it would be hard not to compare yourself against the presidents who came before you. Teddy Roosevelt fell into that trap, but soon learned the lesson of comparing yourself to someone else. He wisely said that comparison is the thief of joy. If I’m constantly comparing myself to another person, it’s hard to be happy, yet it’s something we all do. We try to measure ourselves against someone else to gauge how we’re doing. The problem is while we’re all running a race, we’re on different tracks. There’s no way to truly compare.
In John 21 Peter was slipping into that mindset. He had betrayed Jesus three times and decided he wasn’t worthy to continue being a disciple. After all, in his mind, no one else had betrayed Jesus. After not catching fish all night, they heard Jesus tell them to cast their nets on the other side again. They then had breakfast and Jesus pulled Peter aside to ask him if he loved Him and to tell him to feed His sheep. Jesus then told Peter, “Follow me,” again. He then told Peter how he would die one day. John was nearby and Peter asked Jesus about him. Jesus replied, “If I want him to stay alive until I come [again], what is that to you? You follow Me!” (AMP) Jesus was telling him not to compare himself with John. He wasn’t called to do what john was. He had his own race to run.
Galatians 6:4 says, “But each one must carefully scrutinize his own work [examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior], and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another.” If you’re going to compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to Jesus. He is our measuring stick and we’re all going to fall short which keeps us humble and shows us our need for Him. Don’t let pride trick you into looking at someone else other than Jesus so you feel better about yourself. Run your own race and follow the path God has for you. That is how you maintain joy in your relationship with Him and will continue to follow Him because you’re keeping your eyes on Him and not someone else.
Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 