How popular are you?

How many followers on Instagram do you have? How many likes did you get on that facebook post?

Are you the best at what you do? Is your church the largest, the liveliest, the loudest?

Is your garden better than next doors?

The Corinthian Church had been influenced by boastful leaders who had created their own criteria for successful spiritual authority and then in effect graded themselves on the back of comparison.

The question isn’t whether we are better than others but are we faithful in what God has called us to do.

“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. ¹³ We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. ¹⁴ We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, ¹⁶ so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. ¹⁷ But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” (2 Corinthians 10 v 12-18)

What is the answer to this ‘unwise’ competitive comparison?

1. Know what God has called you to do, v 13 It will be different to others but the call is to be faithful in obedience to what God has asked of you.
2. Know the boundaries, v14 Don’t reach beyond the grace and gift of your life. If accusations come then you know you didn’t grab at where you are nor manipulate your way in to that place, it was God who opened that door for you.
3. Know that you are just a part of the work of God not the whole, v15. God uses other people and so collaboration is good for the soul
4. Know that God calls beyond your boundaries, v16. This is not a contradiction on what has been said before about staying in your lane. We are content to stay but we know there is a world out there that needs Jesus and we are open for God to call us anywhere at any time.
5. Know the commendation of the Lord is all that matters, v17-18. God’s approval comes from the testing in His fire and is based on our faithfulness to His call.

So?

• We don’t measure our worth by others achievements or praise.
• We acknowledge our God given area of influence.
• We celebrate others success without being intimidated.
• We recognize that ultimately we have an audience of One, God.