#37: The Comparison Game

On episode 37, Tim shares how much YOU MATTER and gives a warning about comparison

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome into episode thirty seven of Bring Heaven Down. My
name is Tim and I'm the host of this daily
devotional podcast that shows up in your feed Monday through Friday.
While you're here, hit that follow button so this podcast
will show up in your feed as often as podcasts.
Release and rate and review the show so that we

(00:21):
can bring Jesus into more living rooms, into more cars,
into more people's lives. If you have a question about anything,
email the show Bring Heaven Down number seven at gmail
dot com. Bring Heaven Down number seven at gmail dot com.
All Right, today, as I was thinking about and preparing

(00:44):
for today's show, a specific thought has entered my brain
on what to talk about. And the specific thought that
I want to share is you matter. Everyone that is
listening matters, Everyone that is created matters. So that's what

(01:08):
we're gonna talk about today. So grab your favorite drink
or a cup of coffee, and let's bring Heaven a
little closer together. Okay. I think sometimes at a point
in everyone's life, we all struggle with identity, purpose, stuff

(01:33):
like that, because I think we start to wonder, Okay,
how much purpose do I really have? What is my purpose?
What am I supposed to be doing. Was I created
on purpose for a purpose? And the answer to all
of those questions is you were created on purpose for

(01:54):
a purpose. If you look up the odds of of
anyone being alive, the odds of me being alive, scientists
estimated that it's one in four hundred trillion, which means
that I, personally and you are made on purpose for

(02:18):
a purpose. God knew what he was doing, and God
understood and knew that you were going to be alive
before the creation of the world. In Luke chapter twelve,
it says, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Do not fear. You are more valuable than many sparrows,

(02:43):
which tells me that God knew you were going to
be alive before the creation of the world. I think
sometimes what happens for all of us is we take
a look at our lives and we compare it to

(03:05):
other people's lives, and we say, man, if I only
had this, if I only had that job, if I
only had that marriage, if I only had that alice,
if I only had that car, if my children only
behave like theirs, then man, my life would be perfect.
But the problem with that, and we've already addressed this

(03:28):
on a different podcast. Is one, the grass is not
greener on the other side, and two everyone is patchy.
From the outside looking in, it looks like a perfect life,
but you stand in the middle of that beautiful green
grass and there's going to be patchiness. Comparison is the

(03:53):
thief of joy is a quote attributed to President Theodore Roosevelt,
and it is so true when we compare who we
are or what our purpose is to others. That is
Satan working in our lives to try to downplay our importance.

(04:17):
But God speaks truth about how much he loves us
Romans five eight. But God shows his love for us,
and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
If the world was full of just one person, if

(04:40):
God decided at the beginning of time that I'm just
going to create one person, let's say two people Adam
and Eve. And let's just say two people existed, they
fall in the garden of En. And I still believe
that God loves each and every person so much that

(05:01):
even if only two people existed, he would have still
sent his one and only son, Jesus, to die in
the cross for our sins and take our place for
God's loved the world so much that he gave his
only son that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life. That's how much God loves you

(05:24):
that he is willing to send his one and only
son to die on the cross. Comparison can really go
the other way too. We can look at somebody's life
and say, well, at least I'm not them, and then
we can start to feel good about ourselves. But the
Bible is clear about that as well. Romans twelve three.

(05:44):
I give each of you this warning. Don't think you
are better than you really are. Be honest in your
evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has
given us. So comparison can be us looking at other
people's lives being jealous and being depressed. And comparison can
be looking at someone's live that we think is worse

(06:07):
than us and making that feel good about ourselves. So
we've got to be very careful. And what we have
to understand is that we were all made on purpose
for a purpose, and when we start getting into this
comparison game, then it's not good. It can either make
us depressed or can make us look down on others

(06:30):
when we really shouldn't be because we are all on
the same playing field. I say that over and over again.
It doesn't matter if you've been a Christian for one day,
or aren't even a Christian yet, or if you've been
a Christian for your entire life. The truth remains the
same for everybody. We are all in need of Jesus

(06:53):
Christ to be our Lord and savior. Nobody can outgrow
or outsmart this idea that you don't need Jesus, because
everybody needs Jesus. So I just want you to know
how important you are. That God made you on purpose
for a purpose, and that you are loved. God would

(07:18):
have sent his only son to die just for you
because you matter Psalm one thirty nine. For you created
my inmost being, You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. We

(07:39):
are fearfully and wonderfully made. Every single person. We all
have different gifts, We all have different strengths, and the
reason for that is that we can use our different
strengths and different gifts that reach other people. For Jesus.
We are to utilize our gifts and our strengths that
are unique for God. You matter. Thank you for choosing

(08:02):
Jesus today and I hope that this podcast encouraged you.
And our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will know
more and more about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Everyone,
I hope you have a great day.