Is Comparison Killing Your Purpose? | Cornerstone Church | Pastor Linn Winters

The big idea

God has a different, specific path for each person's life, so comparing your path to someone else's will never be fair and was never meant to be. Pastor Linn shows that comparison distances us from God and steals our gratitude, while trusting God's unique story for us — and turning our blessings toward others — sets us free to enjoy the life He's actually given us.

Point 1 of 5

Pastor Linn walks through Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, and Joseph and his brothers, showing how each story turned deadly or destructive once someone began comparing themselves to another. He notes that Exodus 20:17 places coveting your neighbor's house, wife, or possessions among the Ten Commandments, meaning comparison is serious enough to make God's list of things that will ruin a life.

Point 2 of 5

Pastor Linn explains that comparison makes you accuse God of unfairness -- why do they have more money, more beauty, more skill -- and that accusation turns your heart away from Him. He illustrates this with his own story: his parents' divorce at age nine, wearing hand-me-down clothes while friends had two parents and new jeans, and a severely autistic sister who embarrassed him growing up, all of which led him to reject God as a teenager because comparing his life to his friends' made God look unfair.

Point 3 of 5

Working through John 21:17-22, Pastor Linn shows Peter learning he'll be crucified and immediately asking about John instead -- 'What about him?' Jesus answers, 'What is that to you? You must follow me,' because John and Peter had entirely different callings: John would write Scripture and die of old age in exile, while Peter would lead the early church, open the door to Gentile salvation, and be crucified for his testimony.

Point 4 of 5

Looking back, Pastor Linn realizes his father leaving protected him from following his father into darkness, his poverty kept him from loving money too much to enter low-paying ministry, and his sister's needs forced him out of natural self-centeredness into kindness and gentleness. He concludes these apparent disadvantages were God preparing him for the story God wanted to write in his life.

Point 5 of 5

Pastor Linn tells about visiting a friend's discounted mansion, once owned by a Diamondbacks player, and suddenly hating his own house even though guests called it beautiful. He explains that comparison guarantees someone always has something newer or better, making it impossible to be thankful for what God has actually given.

Take it into your week

Pastor Linn frames the response as slaying comparison by naming it and nailing it to the altar.