When comparison get’s in the way of growth
I’ve caught myself doing it more times than I can count—looking at someone else’s spiritual life and wondering, “What am I doing wrong?”
Maybe you’ve been there too. Someone you know prays with more confidence. Or they always seem to have the right verse at the ready. Or their joy looks unshakable. And suddenly, instead of seeing your own growth, all you can see is what you lack.
Paul understood this struggle when he wrote to the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 3:2
“I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.”
Maybe you’re beyond the “milk” phase of your spiritual journey, but an important truth still stands: Growth takes time. And just like a baby drinking milk, growth can also get messy.
Comparison blinds us to progress.
Think about a parent with a baby. Growth charts are helpful, but what parents really celebrate is progress. Is she eating? Is she gaining? Is she healthy? Nobody expects a newborn to run sprints.
But comparison whispers, “Look how fast they’re growing. Shouldn’t you be further along by now?” And suddenly the small steps God is celebrating in your life feel insignificant.
Paul warns against this kind of measuring stick:
2 Corinthians 10:12
“We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”
Growth isn’t a race.
Spiritual maturity doesn’t mean knowing more verses or doing more good things. It means learning to trust God more deeply and love others more fully. That can happen slowly. Quietly. Even awkwardly.
Hebrews gives us a better picture:
Hebrews 12:1–2
… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Your lane is yours. Your pace is yours. And Jesus is the one who sets it.
God finishes what He starts.
One of the easiest traps of comparison is believing growth is up to you alone. But Philippians reminds us:
Philippians 1:6
”…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
God Himself is the one responsible for finishing what He started in you. Your role is to keep seeking Him and stepping forward in trust.
How do we fight comparison?
Here are a few simple ways to refocus:
Name your growth. - Galatians 6:4–5
“Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.”
Celebrate your progress without needing to measure against someone else’s.
Celebrate others without copying them. Their pace doesn’t have to be your pace. Their path doesn’t have to be your path.
Stay rooted in community. The right people will encourage your steps forward instead of shaming your pace.
Trust God’s process. He knows when you’re ready for more. You don’t have to rush maturity—it will come.
A gentle challenge
Comparison steals joy and stunts growth. But when I focus on my own walk with God—messy as it might be—I start to see progress that’s worth celebrating.
So here’s the question for you this week:
👉 Where are you letting comparison keep you from noticing the growth God is already working in your life?
Ready for more?
Jump into this weeks podcast (Season 2, Episode 7): Grace, Bibs, and First Downs. Growing in Your Faith.
