ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM COMPARISONITIS?

“They made the lampstand of pure gold and hammered it out, base and shaft; its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms were of one piece with it. Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand--three on one side and three on the other. Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair--six branches in all. The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold. They made its seven lamps, as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent of pure gold.”

Why are we reading this long passage? Well, as I read it some time ago, it struck me that the lamp stand and its accessories were all made out of a talent of gold. It surprised me because I have always been under the impression that a talent of gold was quite insignificant.
Elsewhere in scripture, we are told the parable of the talents in which the Master gives his 3 servants some talents of gold as he leaves on a journey. One servant got 5 talents, another got two and the other got one talent. Because the others got more than he did, the servant who got one talent was consumed with anger and hatred for his master. Instead of investing in his one talent (which really was a substantial amount judging from the passage above), this servant went and hid his talent in the ground. Of course when the master came back he did not go scot free. His talent was taken from him and he was thrown outside into the darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.



Are you like the ‘wicked’ servant? His sin was to compare himself to others and to find that he had less than everyone else had. After coming to this conclusion, his silent protest was not to use the gift that he had been given. Don’t be like this servant. Do not compare yourself to others. God works with each of His children in different ways. Whatever He has given you to work with - even if it’s not what you wanted, it can be used to His glory. Put your talent to good use today!

Every Thought

“Something bad is going to happen to you!” It was such an insistent thought, and it kept coming. There I was lying weak and sick on my bed, and my mind was just filled with these morbid thoughts. It was a struggle even to get those thoughts out of my head so, strange as it sounds, I accepted them.

Needless to say, a few hours later, something bad did indeed happen; it’s just a day I want to forget!

2 Cor 10:5 says, We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. I’ve never seen a verse truer to my situation than this one. When sinister thoughts, thoughts that do not seem to be coming from God enter our minds, we need to take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. We need to “correct” those thoughts with the word of God. For example, an evil thought comes: ‘You’re going to die; you won’t recover from this illness’. Don’t accept it! Refute that thought with the word of God. “I shall not die, but live to declare the works of the Lord” Ps 118:17. Evil thought number two: ‘No one cares about you’. That is NOT true. Take that thought captive and say, “My heavenly Father has loved me with an everlasting love!” Jer. 31:3.

Faith, we know, moves mountains. However, negative faith is also a force to reckon with. That ancient serpent the devil is such a liar. He’s been lying from Adam and Eve’s day, and he’s very good at it. The tragedy is, once you believe his lies, you’re trapped! Have you noticed how quickly people who have lost the will to live die? Once you believe you’re going to die, you die. It’s as simple as that!

Well, which lies of the devil have you accepted, consciously or unconsciously? It’s not too late! Take that thought captive and refute it with the word of God! Remember, faith is just believing what God says He will do. Believe the Word, and His word (which is true anyway) will come true in your life! Trust Him! He’ll do the rest.