“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17).
Is the Grass Really Greener?
What does coveting look like in your life? Are there donkeys and oxen involved? Probably not. For me, coveting usually shows up as something a bit more subtle—comparison.
Comparison is a very easy game to play, and at first, it doesn’t really seem like sinning. We compare our kids to other kids (or our kids to one another). We compare our seemingly boring life to someone else’s amazing vacation pictures. We wish we had a closer, less complicated family like everyone else seems to have. We feel disappointed that at this point in life, we aren’t married, having kids, or achieving more in our career—whatever it might be. We deal with hardship in our marriage, health, or finances, and it seems like we’re the only ones in the world who are struggling.
Social media, conversations in the break room, and put-together moms at the soccer field make it seem like everyone else is living a happier, easier life while we just … aren’t. And slowly, comparison starts to steal our joy, make us ungrateful, and lead us into more brokenness and sin.
What God Says
When you start to get lost in the spiral of comparing your life to someone else’s (or to your own ideas about what your life should look like), first of all, repent. Repent of your coveting and rest in the forgiveness and mercy found only in Jesus.
Second, go to God’s Word for strength to avoid comparison in the future. There are so many verses in the Bible that speak to God’s sufficiency in Christ. Here are just a few:
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
God is not holding out on us, even if it seems like everyone else has what we want. He has given us His own righteousness and has prepared a place for us in eternal life, where there will be no more struggles, no more comparisons to make. In times when we start to feel jealous of someone else’s blessings, focus instead on the eternal blessings you have in Christ.
I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. (Psalm 139:14)
Can you look at yourself in a mirror and honestly praise God for what you see? Stretch marks, a few extra pounds, a bad knee, and gray hairs are not the focus. Look instead to how intricately your eyes work together to see, how many amazing things you can do with your hands, and how your mind can learn and grow every day. Can you say the same about your spouse, your kids, your home? Praise God for His wonderful works today, especially His most wonderful work of sending His Son to save us.
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Comparison is often laced with a deep pain, a heavy cross to bear. Maybe you have prayed for your loneliness to end, but God has still called you to singleness. Maybe you will never be able to have children, unlike the miraculous stories of Hannah and Elizabeth in the Bible. Maybe you live with the weight of a disease or grief on your heart every day that you know won’t fully go away this side of heaven. God knows. And He is enough. His grace surrounds you, His power rests on you, and He holds you in your weakness.
We will still struggle with the comparison game. At least, I know I will. But by the grace of God, we can say, “Lord, You are enough.”
Scripture: ESV®.
Download this month’s Everyday Faith Calendar, where we will spend time in the Psalms. You will find short Bible readings and activities for each day.
