Comparisons Kill the Soul

One of the great tragedies of the story of Cain and Abel is the fact that Cain was comparing himself to Abel in the first place. I don’t think even with the law of Moses they had worked out how many bushels of grain were equivalent to a lamb when it came to sacrifices. The fact that Abel found favor with the Lord with his sheep should have had nothing to do with whether or not Cain would find favor with the Lord with his fruits of the field. Cain might have thought to himself if only I had been a shepherd instead of a farmer, I could have had just as much favor from the Lord. The Lord doesn’t need sheep or vegetables or car parts or health insurance. He needs us to be whom He created us to be, just as hard and as true as we can. Cain couldn’t find favor with the Lord because He kept thinking about how much his offering wasn’t more like his brother Abel’s, instead of just trying to grow the best fruits and vegetables that he could grow. We might think that comparing ourselves is harmless, but comparisons lead to resentment, and then to anger, and if unchecked, eventually they could lead to murder. We will drive ourselves insane trying to be like someone else, because God didn’t create us to be someone else, but to be ourselves. We find true joy and fulfillment from getting closer to our true nature. It doesn't matter if that's a shepherd or a farmer or a professor or a rock star. If we are better than we used to be, then it doesn't matter how we compare to others, especially since we are such poor judges not only of others but even of our own accomplishments.