Antidote for Comparisonitis
ONE of the most debilitating diseases of the modern world is “comparisonitis”—the tendency to measure one’s worth by comparing oneself to other people. You won’t find this illness listed in any of the standard medical textbooks, nor will your company’s disability or health insurance or worker’s compensation program reimburse you for it. But make no mistake: comparisonitis is a scourge as widespread and destructive as any physical or emotional malady known today.
Comparisonitis happens when people find ways to look down on others and think highly of themselves because they enjoy greater abilities, intelligence, status, or wealth than they. Comparisonitis is an ancient disease. Certainly Paul was aware of how deadly it could be. That’s why he offered an antidote for it—to see ourselves not as we stack up against others, nor as others evaluate us, but as God sees us (Romans 12:3). Ultimately, His estimation of our worth is what matters. And to Him we matter a lot!
God does not define us according to culturally defined externals. Even our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, or body type are not of primary importance to Him. No, He uses an altogether different set of criteria as the basis for how He deals with us, as several people in Scripture indicate:
- Paul found that God’s grace made him who he was (1 Corinthians 15:10). He also discovered that despite his past, God had made him into a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17).
- Peter learned that God’s power gave him everything he needed to live his life and pursue godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
- Job realized that all he had—family, friends, possessions, health—was ultimately from God (Job 1:21).
- One of the psalmists understood that God Himself had created him, “fearfully and wonderfully.” Imagine what that did for his self-image! (Psalm 139:14).
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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