My granddaughter is currently in her final year of study for her undergraduate degree and she will often ask me for feedback on essays she’s written or opinion pieces she’s submitted. She will then compare my feedback with that of her professors. Constantly she wants to know, “how am I doing?” There’s an old dictum in business that says, “you don’t get what you expect, you get what you inspect”
In our lives we are constantly tempted to measure ourselves against others. We compare our careers, our possessions, our families, even our spiritual lives. But the apostle Paul issued a sober warning: “Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” (2 Corinthians 10:12, NLT).
Paul knew that human comparison is a dangerous and unwise way to measure life. When we hold ourselves up against others, the result is never accurate. Sometimes comparison leads to pride when we think we are doing better than those around us. Other times it leads to discouragement when we feel we do not measure up. In either case, comparison blinds us to the real issue: Am I fulfilling the unique calling and assignment that the Lord has given me?
When we stand before Jesus, He will not judge us by how we performed against other people. Instead, He will ask how faithful we were with the work He placed in our hands. Jesus told the parable of the servants and the talents, and the praise given was not for being “better” than the others, but for being faithful: “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:21, NLT). God is looking for faithfulness, not comparison.
Paul himself wrestled with this issue. Imprisoned in Rome, he had plenty of time to reflect on his life. From a human standpoint, he had every reason to boast. He had traveled throughout the Mediterranean preaching the gospel. He had planted churches across Asia Minor and Europe. He had even preached in the imperial palace. And on top of that, God used him to write most of the New Testament. Compared to anyone else in his generation, Paul had accomplished more than anyone could imagine.
Yet Paul was not satisfied to rest on his record. Instead, he performed a kind of spiritual “audit.” The Greek word he used in Philippians 3:13—translated as “count”—comes from the bookkeeping world. It carries the sense of adding up numbers, preparing a balance sheet, and determining the true financial standing of a business. Paul applied this to his life: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:13–14, NLT).
Paul had done much, but he realized he still had more to do. His calling was not finished. His past victories, while real and precious, could not be the measuring stick for the future. That is why he chose to “forget the past” and press forward into what God still had ahead.
This is a critical lesson for us. Many people stop short of God’s full plan because they live in the shadow of past victories. They dwell on what they have already done, rather than pressing forward to new growth and new obedience. Churches fall into this trap when they glory in “the good old days” instead of seeking God’s fresh direction for the present. Believers stumble when they cling to what God did years ago rather than asking what He wants to do now.
The truth is, yesterday’s victories belong to yesterday. They encourage us and remind us of God’s faithfulness, but they cannot define our present or our future. Today has its own assignments, its own opportunities, and its own demands for faith. Paul’s words challenge us to conduct our own spiritual audit.
We must ask: • Am I pursuing the goals God has given me, or am I simply coasting on yesterday’s success? • Can I stand before the Lord with a clear heart, knowing I am giving Him my best effort and faith? • What adjustments in time, priorities, and resources must I make to align fully with His will?
These are not easy questions, but they are necessary ones. Measuring ourselves against others is a false standard. Measuring ourselves against God’s calling is the only true way forward.
So rejoice in what God has already done in your life. Be thankful for every past victory and every testimony of His grace. But do not stop there. Fix your eyes on the race ahead. Forget what lies behind, and press on toward the prize of God’s high calling in Christ Jesus.
Blessings on you and yours, Jim Black
P.S. if you’d like to read previous ruminations of mine they can be found at https://blog.salvationarmyconcordca.org