“I’ll never know as much as Billy or be as good as him!” “But son, you’re in the second grade and he’s in high school.” We would all try not to laugh out loud if our grade-schooler told us this and then explain the process of growing and learning, and that it requires time to reach a higher level. This same lesson applies to Christians. Newer believers can possess a preconceived notion they should be faultless from the day they receive Christ. Even maturing believers can fall to the temptation of comparing themselves to other Christians who appear more spiritual and manifest more gifts than they do. This only leads to feelings of guilt and inferiority and causes them to wonder what’s wrong with them. Paul warns of the danger of comparing ourselves to others. We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise (2 Corin 10:12 NIV). Don’t compare yourself to other Christians (Gal 6:4 MSG).
We grow up learning to compare ourselves to others so it becomes natural when we accept Christ to look for people by whom we can gauge ourselves. The first error in this thinking, we don’t know how far along the person has come in their spiritual growth. An often-quoted adage offers sound advice. “Don’t compare your Chapter One to someone else’s Chapter Ten.” We may only be at Chapter Two and our comparison might be with someone at Chapter Twenty. The second error, God did not create us equal in all areas. In the parable of the talents, the master called his servants and gave them five, two, and one talent/s each according to his own ability (Matt 25:15). Your ability differs from mine. You may have more abilities than I do. However, that doesn’t mean I’m inferior because I have less. God created everyone by His workmanship for a unique purpose. He gave us gifts according to our ability, appropriate for our assignment on earth. God does not require more from you than what He provided. He only desires we remain faithful with the abilities and the gifting with which He has equipped us.
As we grow in our spiritual life and increase our fruit, the Holy Spirit will entrust us with additional gifts. Faithfulness and growth are the two essentials required for moving to the next chapter. Note these verses: grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18); grow in respect to salvation (1Pe 2:2); we are to grow up in all aspects into Him (Eph 4:15). Growth is not a onetime event but a lifelong process of increasing and moving to the next chapter. We are like the seeds that fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold (Mar 4:8). Growth for all living things requires time and development from one stage to the next, to the next, etc.
A visible example of growing in faith comes through Abraham. The author of Hebrews outlines his life into four levels of faith. His level one entailed faith to receive God’s promise of land (v8). It only required enough faith to take hold of what God gave him. During level two, he showed faith to live and to serve the Lord God in daily life while he waited for the Lord to fulfill His promise of an heir (v9). All the years of just living and waiting prepared him to exercise a third level of faith for a miracle. Sarah gave birth to Isaac when she was 90 years old and Abraham was 100 years old. Abraham validated growth in his spiritual journey by his faith for the impossible. The ultimate level came when Isaac reached adulthood. God told Abraham to sacrifice him as an offering. I personally can’t wrap my mind around such faith. Abraham could not have obeyed this during any of the prevision stages of his growth. It came only through a long process of growing and learning to trust God. He had grown to the point of believing that if the Lord gave them Isaac through a miracle, He would raise his son from the burnt ashes.
We glean several lessons from what we’ve examined but a few important truths stand out. Christianity involves ongoing stages of growth from the time we receive Christ to our death. Other believers can serve as role models but never as gauges for comparison. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts according to our abilities to fulfill our role in this life. Our accomplishments will vary, we may produce thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold or gain five or two more talents. The corn in my garden produces 800 seed per ear but my apples contain an average of 10 seeds. If I compared them as some do with their place in life, I would probably chop down my apple tree. Both produce what God made them to do. One is no less important than the other is. Neither can we consider one as more or less successful when each plant is faithfully producing what God made them to do.
Sustaining Word for the Week: If you are in Chapter One, accept who God made you, the abilities, and gifts He gave you, and do your best with what you have where you are. Chapter Two will come sooner than you expect.