Competition & Comparison

As your church or ministry grows and impacts more and more people, you're going to make a startling discovery:

Not everyone will be celebrating your success with you.

And I'm talking about other pastors and Christian ministry leaders here.

Unfortunately, as we have found out here in Peru as well as in the USA, and as many of you have learned all around the world, the church is full of envy and jealousy and pride and comparison and competition.

If you discover that you are having more success than another church or ministry, then you run the risk of being filled with pride.

If you discover that you are having less success than another church or ministry, then you run the risk of being filled with jealousy and envy.

Galatians 6:4-5 (The Message) warns against this when it says, "Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life."

We're all supposed to be on the same team here.

Stop comparing and competing with other churches and ministries. Always be on the lookout for competition, comparison, pride, envy, and jealousy creeping into your soul. They threaten to serve as the deadly weeds which will choke the life out of your church or ministry.

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