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We’re looking at the three consequences of comparing ourselves to other people. Sometimes we can compare ourselves and think we’re better than others. I want to look at the dangers of comparing ourselves with people that we think are better than us.
Consider the parable of the talents as Jesus told it. Before leaving on a long trip, the master gives three servants certain talents, or resources. One servant received five talents, one two, and the third servant received only one talent.
When the master returned, he asked each of them to give an account of what they had done with those resources. The first servant reported that his five talents was now ten; the second servant similarly reported that his two talents were now four. But what about the third servant? He had taken his one talent and done nothing with it, and he had to report to the master that because he was afraid of losing it, he had hidden it and it was still only one.
The master rewards the first two servants equally: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness” (Matthew 25:21). Even though one had ten and one had only four, they got the same exact reward.
But what does the master say to the third servant? It’s a very strong condemnation: “You wicked, lazy servant!…Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents!” (Matthew 25:26-28).
The lesson here is that God does not compare us with others, but he does expect us to make very good use of the resources that have been given to us. This servant could have had the same reward that the others received had he simply taken his one talent and used it. He wasn’t required to multiply his one into ten, only into two.
Are you failing to use what God has given you? Do you compare yourself to others and conclude that they are better than you, they have more to work with than you do, they’ve got it easy and you’ve got it hard? Whether you have more or less than other people is inconsequential. You will be required to account for your own resources, no one else’s.