Comparing titles makes you unhappy
Contents
Bible . 1 Samuel 18:6 - 16
Subject: Comparisons make you unhappy.
In the Bible, there are people who were used positively for the kingdom and glory of God, but there are also stories of people who were abandoned by God because of their sins and pride. Of course, we must imitate those who have won through faith, but we must also learn from the failures of others. It is because by seeing their failures, you can know what is right and what is wrong as a believer.
Saul, who was called to be Israel's first king, was rejected by God shortly after he became king because he did not obey God. But another reason that made his life even more unhappy was that he had a wrong way of life, which was that Saul was indulging in a sense of inferiority due to a sense of comparison. The text we read today supports this fact.
It was an indescribable joy that Israel, led by King Saul, won the difficult battle against the Philistines. In this battle, Saul was able to kill Goliath, the greatest warrior of the Philistines, thanks to David's actions. However, there was an incident that took away the joy of King Saul. It just happened during the triumph. When Saul improved, the women who welcomed him came out into the streets to dance and sing, and the content was to increase the achievements of David, who was nothing more than a countryman than King Saul. “Saul killed a thousand thousands, David ten thousand.” Hearing this, Saul felt very bad. So from this point on, he tries to check and even kill David, who is his lifesaver. Obviously, there was no problem until Saul heard these songs and compared himself to David. But the moment Saul compared himself to David, Saul's composure was shaken. As such, there are some unfortunate consequences that occur when a person compares himself to others.
First, comparative consciousness confuses people's minds. Let's read verse 10. “The next day an evil spirit from God came over Saul, and he was making a fuss in the house.” What did Satan gain from his influence on Saul? took my mind away. To be mindless means to lose discernment. Why does Satan make people crazy? This is because only when man loses his discernment, Satan can control it. In the end, King Saul, who had fallen into a sense of inferiority by comparing himself to David, lost the ability to distinguish between good and evil, and had no choice but to move further and further away from God.
Second, comparative consciousness cuts off human relationships. Let's read verse 11. “He said to himself, I will drive David into the wall.” Saul threw his spear, but David escaped twice before him.” David was a loyal servant of King Saul. When he was suffering from evil spirits, he played the harp to give birth, and when he was in crisis due to Goliath's problem, he went to the battlefield and made victory. However, when King Saul saw David as the object of jealousy and rivalry, his grace was no longer remembered and only fear remained. Let's read verse 15. “Saul saw David act greatly wisely, and was afraid of him.” But when we see a person who behaves wisely, we should praise him. But Saul is afraid. why? Because he looked at David with an inferiority complex. So he tried to kill David, his benefactor.
Third, the worst harm brought about by comparative consciousness is to take away the grace and joy of salvation that the saints have received in their lives. Saul also received favor at one time. Not only that, he was a man who enjoyed the joy of salvation in the midst of many wars. However, as soon as a sense of comparison is established in him, he turns into a vicious person who does not hesitate to commit sins because of his gratitude and grace, and his greed to destroy anyone better than him by any means possible.
Comparisons are Satan's favorite method to bring down saints. So, is there no need for comparison? Required. It's just a matter of target. Comparison is a method used to judge the value of an object and cannot be applied to humans. The world we live in is lined with people based on sex, money, status and education. It makes you feel unhappy if you're not in the front row. But keep in mind. Saints are children who have already been blessed by God. According to Psalm 115:15, it says of the saints, “You are blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” To those who have received God's blessing, the order of the world does not matter. It is the way of the world, not the way of faith. Don't let your life be depressed by greed to have more and forget God's grace by being caught up in useless comparisons like Saul did.
Dear saints,
A saint is a person who has the ability to overcome feelings of inferiority through faith and foresee victory and blessings. In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will become believers who can fully enjoy the grace and joy God has given you with confidence in your faith in this turbulent time.