CRISIE HUTCHINGS

melt·downˈmeltˌdoun/

I’d like to think I’m level headed, spiritually mature and secure in my identity. But boy, was I sadly mistaken and taken for a ride yesterday as I had a severe comparison meltdown and was shown my true colors. It was ugly! It was disappointing and made me cringe this morning.

Like, I have a comparison hangover today! It’s crazy!

Shame, regret and condemnation are my companions this morning. Is there a concoction that can heal this thing? Of course, there is….the love and mercy of God. But first….His correction.

If you’ve ever struggled with comparison, which we all have, if we are honest, then you know what a nasty aftertaste it leaves in your gut. The sense of contempt and reproach it brings to your soul. The utter hopelessness you feel that you will ever come into your own skin or more, be comfortable there. Of course, this is comparison’s design.

With this age of social media, I think comparison has become even more pronounced and easy to fall into. Looking at the amazing, perfect lives and not only that, the accomplishments of our friends and acquaintances.

The entire advertising and marketing world is built on image and comparison. “Buy this, it’s better than our competitors. Try this new product, it outperforms the old one.” We are obsessed with improvement which is not a bad thing, if you are competing with yourself. But when we start comparing ourselves with ourselves, Paul said, we are not wise!

2 Corinthians 10:2: “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

When we compare ourselves with others or their life, we become dissatisfied with ourselves and our situation even to the point of despising who and where we are. THIS, is dangerous ground because we can become ungrateful, self sabotaging and angry with God and others who haven’t done a thing to us. We discount the gifts God has so graciously given us and, in turn, discount the God Who gave them. Ouch!! This is where I was yesterday: in an extreme place of pride, ingratitude and arrogance.

The Lord brought to mind, Lucifer. this morning and how he fell. He was not only in pride wanting to be like God, but he was not satisfied with who God made him and so he despised his creation and set about to force his hand to take God’s place. How arrogant! But isn’t that what we do, when we make comparisons?

First, we see others and their successes and then we compare them to ourselves. Second, we despise who and where we are, and discount the blessedness of our own lives. And lastly, we pursue someone else’s identity, thinking that is going to satisfy and with it, abandon our own uniqueness.

Comparison can work two ways:

1. If we don’t measure up to others, we get into despair and ingratitude.
2. If we see ourselves as doing better than others, we get into pride and self-righteousness.

Both heads of this coin are deadly. Deadly to our progress and peace in Christ and deadly to our relationship with others and how He’s called us to serve and love one another.

There is only one place to go when this happens….to the cross, the altar of God!

This is painful, ya’ll and I feel like I’ve taken a zillion steps backwards! But God, in His gentleness says, “this is not something new, but something that was already in you that was brought to the surface in order to heal it.”

As my life was altered last weekend by the message of Pat & Karen Schatzline, Rebuilding the Altar, I am grateful that God only reveals, to heal and today is part of it.

I’ve realized over the years that God will bring our junk to the surface to skim it off so that only pure gold remains. And that He disciplines those He loves, who are true sons/daughters so to feel this only reminds me, I am one of His and that is the purest, most secure place of all!!!

Let Christ be glorified in all!