Many, many summers ago, my younger son made it clear, he was NOT excited about starting kindergarten.

So one day, in an effort to change his little heart, my mom drove her two grandsons by my old elementary school.

“This is where your mother & nana (aunt) went to school,” she said with excitement.

“School. School!” My son whined…”I don’t want to hear about school. I don’t know how to read, write or do math. Achacha (big brother) knows how to do those things…I don’t.”

I laugh as my mom retells the story. 

Poor kid was just starting kindergarten. Why was he comparing himself to his second grade brother? It made no sense! But then again…one scroll down social media, and I find myself doing the same. 

Comparing. 

Comparing myself to others can make me give up on a task before I even start it…even a task God is asking me to do. 

After all, others seem to have it all together…and have the likes, comments and stats to prove it. 

What if the men and women of our Bible based their calling and worth on how well they lined up with others? 

Would David have completed the book of Psalms…or would he have hung up his harp in discouragement after comparing the fanfare of Asaph’s hymns to his? 

Would Paul have written his second letter to the Corinthian church if no one bothered to like, comment or even acknowledge the first one? 

And then there’s the Apostle John. He was exiled all by himself on the island of Patmos. I don’t think I would have had the mental energy to seek the Lord and write the book of Revelation if I saw the rest of the world posting family vacation pics and enjoying extravagant dinners, while I’m slogging away trying to make sense out of horses and dragons. 

Thankfully, each of these men stayed faithful to their assignments and “fixed their eyes on things above” rather than comparing their talents, their callings, and their lives to those around them.

It’s easy to laugh and see how silly it was for my pre-kindergarten son to compare himself with his second grade brother…but I wonder if our Heavenly Father shakes his head and chuckles as we do the same.

Comparison. 

I pray it doesn’t stop us from doing what God has asked us to do.

~Binu