Comparison is the Thief of Joy

We weren’t created to measure our worth against others. Yet comparison has become a quiet spiritual threat shaping how we see ourselves, our relationships, and even our faith. ✨👀

We live in a world where comparison is nearly unavoidable. Whether we realize it or not, it often shapes how we see ourselves and perceive others. Some of us are students, others have graduated and are in the workforce, and some have even retired. Some live in apartments, others live in houses. But regardless of where we are, we often look around and measure our lives by someone else’s standard.

God never intended for us to evaluate our worth by what others are doing or achieving. Yet we live in a society fueled by competition and comparison, always striving for the next best thing, setting records, chasing innovation, and crafting the perfect image. This obsession with “comparison” has become a spiritual threat, one that creeps into every corner of life—family, friendships, relationships, even within the ecclesia.

At its root, comparison is often born out of envy. Coveting is not a modern issue; it is one of humanity’s oldest problems. In fact, the moment Eve looked at what she did not have, rather than what God had already given her, humanity fell. And from that point on, envy, coveting, and insecurity became constant thorns in our sides. When God gave the Ten Commandments to Israel, He included this one: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…or anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:17).¹

When the disciples followed Christ, they brought this issue to life, arguing among themselves who was the greatest of them all. God knows how easily we desire what we don’t have and how quickly our hearts turn toward what looks better on someone else. And when we begin to covet, comparison is often the next step. We start noticing what we lack rather than what we’ve been given.

But comparison isn’t limited to material things. It extends into more personal areas—like relationships, experiences, emotions, and even our spiritual understanding. A single person might look longingly at a married couple. Someone renting an apartment might envy their friend’s new home. A person dealing with anxiety or depression may feel even more burdened after seeing someone else’s joy or peace. Parents compare their children. Speakers compare their talks. Workers compare their success and achievements. We may even compare our spiritual walk to someone else’s and wonder why we’re not “as faithful,” “as wise,” or “as useful.” But what do we really gain by all this comparison? When our focus is on man, the answer is: nothing.

This point is why the Apostle Paul’s words in Galatians 1:10 are so powerful. He asks, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man?” and then he answers, “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Paul urges the Galatians to recognize that there is no comparison between the gospel he preached and the false gospels others promoted. Now he was seemingly at a disadvantage in this case, as the gospel he was preaching was not designed to please people but to please GOD. But his teachings weren’t born from tradition or imitation—Christ revealed them directly. So, who is he trying to please? The people he’s speaking to, or the ones he’s speaking about? Ultimately, Paul reaffirmed that his identity and mission rested in Christ alone—not in how he compared to others or how others perceived him. That’s the focus God calls us to use as well: to look upward, not sideways.

What’s particularly interesting about this topic is that it presents two equally dangerous perspectives. There’s the viewpoint of the one who feels lesser in comparison—those who feel like they’re behind, not good enough, not as successful, or spiritual or joyful. But there’s also the danger of being the greater, the one who begins to feel superior, proud, and self-satisfied. When we think we are “greater” than someone else, it can become easy to start making assumptions about their faith, work ethic, or worth. But Jesus warns us clearly in Matthew 7:1-5 not to fall into this trap. “Judge not, that you be not judged… Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” The danger here is that comparison doesn’t just steal our joy but distorts our view. It causes us to minimize our own weaknesses while magnifying someone else’s. Jesus calls us to examine ourselves first—to remove the log from our own eye—so that we can see clearly, not with criticism, but with compassion. This is humility in action. It reframes our focus away from how we stack up to others, and back to where we truly stand before God.

But if anyone ever had the right to consider themselves greater, it was our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, he didn’t elevate himself. Instead, he exemplified humility, contentment, and peace—virtues our world rarely celebrates today. As Paul says in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Our Lord Jesus Christ didn’t just teach this—he lived it. He counted each of us as more significant than himself when he gave his life for us. He saw us in our weakness and chose not to compare, but to redeem.

What can we take away from this topic practically? How do we resist the urge to compare ourselves to others, whether we feel above or below them? The first and most crucial point is that we need to be aware of who we are supposed to be comparing ourselves to—and that’s Christ. No man, woman, or child should ever take his place as the standard for our lives. We should measure our thoughts, words, and actions against his example. Only then do we begin to see clearly.

It’s also important to acknowledge that what we often compare ourselves to is only a “highlight reel.” On social media or in everyday conversation, we usually only hear the good—new homes, promotions, vacations, and smiling families. But those snapshots rarely include moments of weakness, doubt, or failure, things nobody is dying to share with the world. And when we compare our full reality to someone else’s carefully crafted and curated image, we end up discouraged and discontented with our own lives. Don’t let someone’s mountaintop moment steal your joy in the valley God is walking through with you.

In truth, comparison has become more intense than ever, thanks to social media. It’s no longer limited to our neighbors or peers—we now compare ourselves to people worldwide. We see their best moments but forget that we aren’t seeing their full stories. In some cases, the story isn’t even true in the first place. In doing this and viewing this highlight reel, we rob ourselves of the joy God intends for each of us to have. Because the truth is this: God has given every one of us a unique race to run. We have our own calling, our own challenges, our own purpose in the body of Christ. When we stop comparing and start focusing on our assignment, joy returns. We are free to embrace the journey God has placed before us, trusting He has equipped us with the gifts and opportunities we need to serve Him well. Now, all of this may sound like I’m saying, “Only focus on yourself!” However, this is not the case. There is no problem with being aware of others’ success; in fact, we should celebrate it often. But we need to be cautious and not diminish ourselves in our celebration of others. Rejoicing in someone else’s blessing doesn’t lessen your own.

Paul gives us one final encouragement in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” That’s our goal—not to be better than our brother or sister or be the best among all humanity, but to be faithful before God. We are each part of one body, with distinct functions. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27). One may be the eye, another the hand, another the foot. But we’re all vital to the health of the whole. The eye should not compare itself to the hand. The foot should not envy the head. So instead of asking where we fall on the ladder of comparison, let’s ask: Where do I excel in my service to God? Where has He placed me? What has He equipped me for? When we can answer that, we can stop comparing our calling to someone else’s and start maximizing ours for the fast-approaching Kingdom.

And now, we turn to the table of the Lord—a table that levels all comparisons. Here, there are no richer or poorer, no more critical or less needed, not ahead or behind. This table is not one of competition but of remembrance. As we take the bread and the wine, we fix our eyes on the one life that deserves all our attention—the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross.” He didn’t look around at others. He didn’t weigh whether you were worthy of his sacrifice. He maximized his calling. He completed the work. He ran his race with joy, knowing what it would mean for us.

So, as we partake this morning, let us not come to the table with thoughts of comparison, shame, or pride. Let us come in humility, in gratitude, and in unity. Let’s look up, not sideways. Let’s run our race. Let us keep our eyes on Christ. Because comparison is the thief of joy—but Christ is the source of it.

Joseph Pommer,
Pittsburgh Ecclesia, PA