By Practical Christianity Foundation, (PCF)
"The "root of discontentment is comparison with others", says Dr. Timothy Daley.
When we make a self-assessment on the basis of what we think of others, we make two consequential errors in judgment: First, we are dissatisfied with who we are. Second, we are convinced that others are better than we are.
It is true that, some are more gifted than others in certain skills. Some have more training than others in a given field. Personalities are different. etc. It is also true that every individual is a work in progress in the hands of our Creator. It behooves us to recognize that and should never interfere with God's work in us as He hones the abilities, capabilities, skills, and gifts He instilled in us to get better at who we are in Him.
Especially, we should never tamper with God's work in us by striving to be other than who He has made us. Moses made that mistake and God was not happy with him. Moses tried to "remind" God his creator that he is a nobody, he knows nothing, the people won't listen to him, doesn't really know who is sending him, and doesn't really know how to tell the people about the one who is sending him. It seems that Moses would rather be someone else who can go places for God instead of God going with him just as he was. Moses attempted to "advise" God that He should correct the stutter in his speech before he can go for Him to Egypt. But God firmly reminded him that He created him as a stuttering servant and that ain't gonna change!
No distinction in skill, gift, fame, wealth, social status, personality, etc., should ever be used in determining the identity and worthiness of any individual. We are who we are because we are created as who we are. No individual is an accident. Everyone, without exception, is God's precious creation, upon whom divine attention, will, purpose, and plan are fully vested. So if, contrary to our Creator's design and purpose, we are dissatisfied with the very fact of who we are, we will always be dissatisfied with ourselves even if we ever become the person we envy, because we are basically dissatisfied with ourselves. Worse yet, being dissatisfied with ourselves, we are actually rejecting the will of our Creator by Whose hands and Will we are fearfully and wonderfully made the way we are. What we need is, a thorough understanding of who God says we are as revealed in the Scriptures.
To the children of God redeemed by grace and never by excellence, smarts, or pedigree, rejecting the Will of our Father by wishing to be someone else is sin. Such attitudes and thoughts are offensive to our Father. Such ungodly musings reflect an outright rebellion toward the will of our Father concerning His will toward His children.
True, we might learn from each other. But we must be free from the bondage of looking at ourselves in the eyes of others. By God's Grace and confidence, we would learn to rejoice in who we are in Christ Jesus and see the wonders of God's transforming work flourish in our individual lives.
We are God's creation made in His image. He breathed into us His breath of life. We are not a replica of another creature. A point to ponder!
