Mwari Mukutii Neni?

I’m sure you’ve heard this statement a couple of times. Comparison is the thief of joy. But have you really thought about it? Have you really applied that statement in your life to see when or how your joy is being stolen from you every day? Many times, we have heard the story of Cain and Abel: two different offerings, two different people. One offering was looked at with regard and favor by God; the other wasn’t.  Why? Well, there are some hints in how their offerings are described, but the entire reason is only known to God. That’s the thing, only God knows. Only He knows why some people have jobs and others don’t, why others are prospering, and others are not. If only Cain had looked at His own sacrifice and asked God how he could do it right or better, we would have had a different bible story. But he decided to compare, become bitter, become jealous, angry, and eventually become a murderer. Comparison robbed his joy. He compared himself to Abel, and he robbed himself of having a brother, of growth, yes, he could have changed his ways as God told him.

Genesis 4:2-7 

‘… Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. But Abel also brought an offering – fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’ ‘

In an age where people’s lives are so easy to see and criticize, it’s so easy to compare. Social media makes it so easy for us to have chances to compare day and night, 24/7. We compare ourselves with people we don’t know, people who have a different upbringing from us, people who have different beliefs, who grew up in different economic situations and countries, people who have connections, and people who have years of experience. The fact that we are made in different and unique ways should give us enough reason to run our own races and focus on our own growth. Focus on our own relationship with God and our own lives. God has a plan for every single one of us. Now, imagine if our Lord and Savior Jesus had come down to earth and started comparing left, right, and center with every other Jewish boy He grew up around or king He heard of, then would we have been saved?  Your life has enough things that you and God need to deal with; don’t add the weight of trying to be someone else to that.