The typical advice for happiness is "not to compare with others". Others suggest that we compare ourselves with those better than us, we will be upset. So, we just compare ourselves with those worse off than us and then we will be happy and we feel blessed. All such pieces of advice are wrong. We are to compare so that we can learn where we stand and make improvements. However, the target of our comparisons must be right. We don't choose those who are better so that we become jealous nor we choose those who are less so that we pride ourselves. Our target must be the specific calling that God want us to be.
Our Target for Comparison
Paul gave us the following verses:
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Philippians 3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
The target gives us a purpose, a meaning and a yardstick for us to steer our course and to check our progress.
It is a Journey with Him
It is not a lonely and tough journey because our Lord Jesus Christ has given us the assurance that He is with us even until the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20 NKJV ... to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. )
It is Not an Exam - There is no failure but a prize waiting.
We don't have to pass an exam. We are starting from the acceptance of God as a child of God. This journey is for us to grow-up to be like Him in our own unique masterpiece created by Him ( Rom 8:29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.)
See also:
Lim Liat (c) 7 Jun 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment