Overcome Spiritual Comparison and Jealousy

It's so easy for us to judge someone from the outside. It's so easy to say, "she's so holy" or "he's so this" and "he's so that." It's so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing and fail to take time to step back and work on building our own walk with God.

Some of us spend so much time judging one another and looking at what everyone else is doing instead of keeping our eyes on Christ and on the work that He's trying to do within us.

Maybe you feel like you don't measure up or that your relationship with God isn't strong enough. The truth is, God sees YOU! He's not impressed by the works and the limelight. He is looking at your heart. But is your heart filled with compassion and jealousy? 

The best way to grow in your relationship with God is by keeping your eyes on Christ and remaining faithful in PRIVATE! You can't grow if you are constantly comparing your walk of faith to someone else.

Maybe you are tempted by the limelight. 
Maybe you want others to see how spiritual you are.

Here's what the Bible has to say about that:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ” Mathew 6:5-15

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Mathew 6:3-4

As you can see, the prideful will be brought low and the humble will be rewarded. So, the enemy uses comparison and jealousy as a way to bring about competition, division, and pride.

If you truly want to grow in your relationship with God, you have to make a conscious effort to grow in faith privately and let Him change you from the inside out.

You might think that person is holy and has such a strong relationship with God because they don't smoke, drink, or go to the club. But guess what? Behind closed doors, they may be combating lustful thoughts. They may be committing adultery. They may be more interested in pleasing people than in pursuing God's own heart.

We are encouraged to do our good works in private, but there are also those who do their sinful works in private as well. Not all sins are visisbly aparrent. Many of them take place in the heart. So, when you compare, do you truly know who and what you are comparing yourself to?

The truth is, nobody is perfect. Neither am I. No matter how someone might look in the limelight, their life can be pitch dark backstage.

So where is your heart at?

Is your heart on the people? Is your heart looking at the next person saying, "man I wish my relationship with God was just as strong as theirs" or "I want everyone to think I have a wonderful relationship with God?"

My friend, place your eyes on Christ and take them off everyone else! 
That's the only way you'll begin to grow in faith.