It’s Not Fair (To Compare)

How content are you?

No, I really mean it. How contented are you really?

Are you truly satisfied? Have you become content with what you have? I often struggle with being at peace with what I have because I have become obsessed with what I don’t have.

The psalmist remembers a time when he truly had nothing and the Lord met his needs. He praised God for his provision, but is provision alone enough for us anymore?

Psalm 107:4 Some wandered in the desolate wilderness,
finding no way to a city where they could live.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
their spirits failed within them.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them by the right path
to go to a city where they could live.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for His faithful love
and His wonderful works for [all] humanity.

9 For He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things.

Psalm 107:4-9

The psalmist was satisfied because God had filled him with very good things.

In our culture, we are constantly exposed to more stuff. 

  • We see advertisements for the newer cars that guarantee our coolness factor. 
  • Most of the celebrities we watch are not getting their fashion statement purchased on the clearance racks. 
  • Our neighbors always seem to have the newest tool, gadget, or toy.

We look at what others have and we say, “It’s not fair.”

Let’s clarify: it’s not fair to compare.

Pride tells us we deserve more, and that we should have it better than other people. So if we deserve more, we will get more at whatever it costs.

The more we indulge in what the world has to offer, the more attached we become to the things of this world. When I was personally struggling with the infection of greed in my life, I studied 1 Tim. 6:6-8 which states, “We have brought nothing into this world, and we can not take anything out of it, if we have food and covering, with these we will be content.”

I wasn’t a fan of these verses because Paul never specified what type of condition the food and covering would be. He should have stated that we should be content when we live in the best, eat the best, and have the best. Instead, if he simply had anything to go in his mouth and anything to cover his head, he chose to be content.

Oftentimes, we cannot be content because we are more focused on what we want rather than what we already have. 

The psalmist remembered a time when he was hungry and thirsty. In the desert, he didn’t know if he would make it. But now, God had met his needs and he was satisfied.

Today, check and see how much comparison has infiltrated your heart. How focused are you on what others have? Have you taken the time today to thank God for food, covering, family, church, and most importantly – salvation?

You have done more than satisfy us, God.  We are full to the brim.