Myth: If I succeeded like him or
her, looked like him or her, possessed his or her personality, status or
achievements, I would be satisfied, content, and happy.
Intro:
Although this myth
can apply to anyone, it is especially prevalent at universities where
competition is walking past us college students day in and day out. In college,
many undergraduates have this urge to constantly compare themselves to other students.
They are driven individuals who want to be the best of the best. However, if we
have aspirations to gain what others have, then we lose focus of what God
really wants for us. Romans 12:2 says,
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” During this talk, I will
outline how comparing ourselves to others’ success, looks, and possessions
doesn’t lead us to happiness but how seeking out God’s Will does.
And the reason I want to share this is because I strongly believe true
satisfaction comes from a relationship with God.
Success:
Success is very
desirable in this world because it gives us something to be proud of. It
separates us from others, making us feel special and more talented than the
common man. The success that I want to focus on is the prestige that comes from
accumulating lots of money.
Most of us in college are striving for a diploma
because we want to get a job, make money, and use it how we see fit. However, the pedestal that young entrepreneurs
are put on these days puts even more pressure on us coming out of college to
make big bucks. The recent phenomena of these twenty something year old
geniuses creating a social media app and making billions of dollars is
tantalizing. Many say they are set for life. But I challenge you to think about
what life they are set for. Are they focused on the earthly life or eternal
life? Money is not a bad thing, but let’s remember that we shouldn’t make it
our everything. Matthew 6:21 says, “For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And further in Matthew
6:24 it says, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Hopefully we make God
our treasure and surely he will reward us in Heaven.
Looks:
The next
comparison I want to talk about is looks. Looks are probably the easiest way we
compare ourselves to others. Looks aren’t obtained like money though. We are
all born with specific characteristics and those features develop overtime to
make us the unique individuals God intended us to be. Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully
made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” God made us in a
beautiful way and that should be enough to bring us satisfaction with our
appearance.
However, I want us
to take caution not to fall into the status that is often associated with
Indiana University. Whether it’s true or not, IU tends to be a sweet spot for
good-looking people. For instance, let’s do what this talk is supposed to be
disproving and compare ourselves to Purdue. Two years ago at a basketball game,
an IU male student wrote on a sign, “Purdue. Keeping ugly girls out of Indiana
since 1869.” Obviously the joke is meant to be humorous, but it reflects the
belief among IU students, especially males, that IU has lots of attractive
people on its campus. And as fellow IU students, we might feel pressure to
uphold that reputation.
But let’s go back
to scripture and read what God says. For guys, we might feel conscious if we’re
not exercising or making sure our muscles look tight and chiseled. But 1 Timothy 4:7-8 says, “Have nothing to do
with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather train yourself to be godly. For
physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,
holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” We can
still make it important to be fit, but let’s train to be men of god.
For girls,
appearance tends to be an even more important attribute than it is for guys.
But in 1 Peter 3:3-4 it states, “Your
beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and
the wearing of jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner
self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth
in God’s sight.” Obviously, you are allowed to wear jewelry and clothes and
make your hair look pretty. And those things do make girls look beautiful. But
if you are spending hours and hours fixating over those things, I think God
would much rather have girls spend those hours seeking Him. And as a guy
myself, it is attractive to me when I see a girl who loves seeking God and is
confident in the way she looks, no matter what she’s wearing.
Possessions:
The
last point I want to bring up is how we think about possessing what others
have. This is similar to success and looks, but it can relate to anything. The
common misconception is “If I had what he or she has, I would be so much
happier.” How many of you have seen something someone has, whether it’s their
car, a dress, or their popularity, and said “I want that.?” I sure have. Often
I’d think to myself, “Man. If I had his height and athletic ability, maybe I’d
be a college athlete.” Or, “If I was as sociable around girls as him, maybe
they’d like me more.”
Maybe you have
that one person in your house who seems to have it all. They’re nice. They get
good grades, and they seem to have peace even when they’re stressed out. Maybe you’re
like, “Wow, I wish I could have whatever is making them so happy.” But again,
God doesn’t call us to compare ourselves to others. He doesn’t want us to take
the paths of others or be jealous of someone else’s status. He wants us to go
on our own journey and follow his lead. For in Matthew 16:26 it says, “What good will it be for someone to gain the
whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” I love this verse because it challenges
us to think about what we really want out of life. Do we want to live horizontally
and gain everything only to have it perish, or do we want to have a vertical
mindset knowing that God’s eternal love is worth it?
Conclusion:
To conclude, I
want to challenge us to see that comparing ourselves to others will not bring
us happiness. When we see someone and say, “I’d have such a better life if I
succeeded like her, looked like him, or possessed her status,” let’s stop and
put our lives in perspective. Are we longing for God’s Will for our life or are
we pursuing personal ambitions? I’ll close with this verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Rejoice always,
pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for
you in Christ Jesus.”
