TOP OF THE HEAP

We live in a world of comparison.  It all begins at an early age, before we are even aware there is a need for being compared.  Little Johnny walked at 7 months.  Has you slow to achieve baby crawled yet?  Susie knew her alphabet at 1.  Has your slow learner begun saying anything?  Why we even compare potty training records.  NOW THERE'S ONE for the record books,  Little TT went potty first in nursery school.  We seem to be fascinated with comparing our babies and love to bring up our perceived records of achievements.  The babies--they don't compare themselves--they are just being babies.  It's the parents who start all this mess!

This MIGHT be starting triathlons a tad early

And then we are off to school and the Comparison Game takes on NEW meaning!  Sports, scholastics, age at graduation, college admission, scholarships, awards ~ on and on we play the game of "Who can be best?"  Once again the parents get involved and push, pull, or threaten to get the desired results of winning.  I have seen high school seniors with resumes which would serve most of us well at the end of life.  In 18 short years, they have done more, seen more, achieved more, and excelled at more than many of us ever attempt.  All for the sake of being at the top of the comparison heap.

Comparison Heap

It does not go away with adulthood.  Why else would there be a need for huge houses, multiple degrees, expensive cars, impressive friends~~~~  We all all out there trying to one up and out do each other.  How many miles did you walk today?  How fast was your pace?  How many other activities did you accomplish today?  How is your garden growing?  How many courses was the meal your prepared?  How are your children~~grandchildren~~family doing?  We get stuck in the comparison trap and there is no way to win.  Someone else is always out there who is better, faster, bigger, richer, more influential, prettier~~~.  You can never win when you start comparing.

There is another type of comparison we have been discussing in small group~Comparative righteousness.  Righteousness is the term for being ethically upright~obedient in The Word.  We try to win the I Am Righteous game by comparing ourselves to others.  NOW--I must admit I do not compare myself to Mother Theresa or even the sweet saints who have mentored me during my lifetime.  I compare myself to the sinner down the street--you know she is one hot mess.  She doesn't go to church, never prays, scoffs at The Word, and beats her children after a long night of debauchery.  I am MUCH more righteous than she is.  The thing about the heap--there is always someone under us--but guess what--there are always others above us.  We attempt to declare our righteousness by comparing ourselves to those we deem less righteous.  GUESS WHAT!  NONE of us are righteous--we are never going to be on the top of the heap--we cannot begin to measure up to the only One who is truly righteous.  JESUS!  The GOOD NEWS--we can stand under the cloak of His righteous and be declared righteous.  By HIS IMPUTED RIGHTEOUS---we are righteous--white as snow--Mary's Little Lamb never looked whiter.  He does not compare us--He stands in for us. GRACE!

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Galations 6:14