We live in a culture of comparison. Social media has exacerbated this phenomenon. This is nothing new in our human experience, dating back to the story of Cain and Abel. Cain was jealous because God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected his. This is comparison, and its roots run throughout our DNA as humans.
The problem with comparison is that it leads to discontentment. Regardless of what you have, it never feels good enough. Rather than being satisfied and content with your “blessing,” you are disappointed because it is not as big as someone else’s. You even use language that belies this condition. You become a victim of the “only’s.” What are the only’s you ask? This is when you position things as only and miss the greater blessing. This is usually born out of a comparison of some kind. Here are some examples:
You read that you should have $1 million in your retirement account by a certain age, and you respond by thinking I only have $650,000.
You discover that people with your degree on average make $100,000 per year, and you think to yourself I only make $85,000.
Your coworker brags about earning a ten percent return in their 401(k), and you think I am only earning six.
The problem with the only’s is that it causes you to miss the blessing you currently have because it doesn’t feel as good as someone else’s. Often, the problem with comparison is that you don’t know what the person did to arrive at that place. Maybe they started saving earlier than you. It could be that they knew someone who referred them to the higher-paying job. They may be willing to take way more investment risk than you are comfortable with. It does not matter what the issue is. Learn to be content with what you have. It does not mean you don’t strive for better. It means you don’t do it because you are trying to compete with some mythical standard of where someone else is or where you should be.
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