Kris Vallotton • May 21, 2017

Killing Comparison in the Church

Have you ever sat on a Sunday at church and thought, “If only I could be like that worship leader, with the passion they carry and their beautiful voice…. If only…” It can be easy to think that they have it all put together. I know we’ve all been there—getting caught up in the comparison game. Whether we realize it or not, whenever we put people up on pedestals, we are partnering with comparison. And when we feed into that, we’re partnering with the invisible measuring stick that tells us one is greater than another, most times counting ourselves as less than. It’s totally okay to look up to worship leaders and pastors who serve on the stage on a Sunday, but I want to challenge the thinking that publically serving God from the pulpit is the most glorious part of the body of Christ. The truth is that being the most glorious is being authentically who God created you to be. What I really want you to understand today is that there is nobody else like you. You are made to be you, and not like anyone else.

I think that when we begin to appreciate the full, complete, and multi-faceted body of Christ, we will kill comparison! There’s enough glory to go around for each of us, and when we’re all operating in our created purpose, together we are the most glorious. Paul taught us that Christ’s Body is made up of many members that have different functions. These verses are so rich with truth!

“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you” (1 Corinthians 12:12-21).

Now go back and read those verses a second time. Let them sink in.

So although we can and should respect our church leadership, we really need to understand our own individual role in the body of Christ. But how do you figure that out? I’ve heard that we become the reflection of our perception of others’ thoughts towards us. John Maxwell said, “Most of us become what the most important person in our life thinks we should become.” This principle really works in our favor when the most important person in our life is God and the lense of our life is clear. If we are becoming what we think God thinks of us, and our perception of God’s thoughts towards us are accurate, then we really are being transformed into the image of God! Who God is to us, He will be through us.

WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?

The story in Matthew’s Gospel is a great example of this. In chapter six Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Another way to say it is, “Who am I to you?” I believe that question was more for Peter’s sake than for Jesus. He wanted to reveal something in Peter, and the core of who He said Jesus was would then resonate in Peter’s divine destiny. You don’t always see God in His fullness, but you tend to see specific parts of His character—do you see the Lord as a gentle shepherd? Or maybe a fishermen of men? Pay attention to this. When you describe God to someone, you’re often times describing the aspect of God’s character that He wants to express through you!

So I’ll ask you the question, who do you say God is? Do you relate to His heart for the lost, or are you more passionate about teaching His flock to hear His voice? Once you answer this question I encourage you to think and pray through what that means for you and your place in the body of Christ. As you get a grasp of how amazing and necessary you are to the body, I want you to journal that revelation out with God. It’ll serve as a beacon of truth any time you start to struggle with comparison. I’d love to hear about your process in the comments! Who do you say God is?

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