Tonight started week one of “The Comparison Trap” with Andy Stanley. If 2012 continues with the trend of every other message this year, it’s going to be a heavy year at North Point. No one will be able to say that it’s a “fluff” church. Every week has left me with something to think about and this week is no different.
It’s in our nature to compare ourselves to other people. We simply can’t help it. If you just thought to yourself, “I don’t compare myself to others”, you just did. You just compared yourself to me because I do compare myself to others. It can’t be escaped.
I took a lot of notes during Andy’s message Sunday night but for now I’m only going to post the questions that he finished his message with. The entire message is worth watching later this week and you can watch it here or here when it’s rebroadcast this week.
Are you exhausted from trying to keep up with ________?
Are you broke from trying to keep up with ________?
Are you allowing what others have to keep you from enjoying what you have?
Are you allowing you don’t have to keep you from enjoying what you do have?
Parents: Do you enjoy your kids or are you driving them crazy because you compare them to what other people’s kids are doing and achieving?
Married people: Is it possible that your spouse feels alienated because you constantly compare them to someone else’s spouse?
Who would you secretly enjoy seeing fail?
Are you chasing the wind and trying to catch it with both hands?
You can’t love someone and push them to perform like someone else. It’s impossible to love someone if you would celebrate their failure.
Jesus responded to people who tried to compare him to people: “I’m just doing the will of the Father.”