COMPARISONS

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Be careful with comparisons.

As many of you know, I deeply love the work at the Refuge (http://www.mensliveschanged.org/).

Each Tuesday, men’s lives are given the opportunity for change through this wonderful work. Yet as I have spent time with their leadership team and their founder over the years, I have learned something very valuable.

Be careful with comparisons; don’t get distracted; don't get blindsided.

What do I mean?

The enemy loves to distract us with DISCONTENTMENT and he uses comparisons in order to work this plan.

Things like...

“Why is she being blessed in that way doesn’t GOD know what she is saying and doing at work?”

“I have been doing this church thing for some time now GOD, why do you continue to bless ‘them’ more than me?”

“His ministry is flourishing why is mine sputtering along?”

My good pal Tom, the Refuge director, sees this happen over and over again. Men who find Jesus and are pulled from deep difficulties to new possibilities in life find their recovery and success completely derailed when the comparisons kick in.

“Bob got a girlfriend Lord, where is mine?”

“That family got a car donated to them, where is mine?”

"Why them and not me, GOD? I work harder, do more, sweat more, what gives?"

When we make those kinds of comparisons discontentment usually follows causing us to shift our focus to the “blessings” and lose sight of the BLESSOR.

Jesus reminds us to not get caught up in this sort of distraction but to instead trust Him wholeheartedly for ALL THINGS!

Matthew 6:34-35

What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Christmas time can be a killer for comparisons. So many ads for “what you need this Christmas”;so many enticements to sign up for this card or that promotion. Christmas is chocked full of that "keeping up with the Jones" nonsense.

Be careful!

1 Corinthians 4:7

…Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing…?

Don’t let yourself get caught up in the comparisons; don’t let the enemy filled your mind with discontentment this season. Instead remember your blessings; count them, be grateful for them and remember the ONE who has provided them!

Philippians 4:12-13

...Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am...

I love you all.

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney