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In this episode...

The Comparison Trap: Working With Confidence in Your Calling

https://faithfulontheclock.captivate.fm/episode/the-comparison-trap-working-with-confidence-in-your-calling

Comparison can be a huge stumbling block as you try to serve God. Episode 128 of Faithful on the Clock explains the value of not comparing as you find and step into your calling.

Timestamps:

[00:04] - Intro

[00:41] - How our business environment and culture sets us up for comparison

[01:57] - How comparison functions as a measure of safety and security

[04:27] - Comparison distracts you from your calling. It makes you put value and attention on what doesn’t matter and doubt your own worth.

[05:00] - Joseph, Mary’s husband, as an example of someone who resisted comparison

[06:49] - The Bible shows that great things happen when you defy expectations. If you compare all the time, you prepare for what’s not even relevant.

[09:03] - David as an example who, instead of comparing himself to others, only compared the job to do to his previous experience

[10:59] - How to get clarity about your calling

[14:30] - Safety and security come from God

[15:01] - Prayer

[15:38] - Outro/What’s coming up next

Key takeaways:

• Comparison can happen on multiple levels, such as within a culture and then within an industry. We often do it as a way to be reasonable in setting tasks and objectives.
• On top of having a pragmatic purpose, comparison also helps us gauge our sense of safety. We compare to make sure we haven’t deviated too far from expected norms, which would harm our chances of survival. Going after wealth is a way to answer the question of safety and, if desired, gain the power to alter the norms that are in place.
• Comparison is detrimental to us as Christians because it distracts us from the calling God has for us. It can cause us to devalue who we are and think we’re not capable of effective service.
• Joseph, Mary’s husband, serves as an example of someone who went against norms to serve God. Many stories of the Bible show that good things happen when people are willing to stop comparing and respond to God in a way that defies worldly expectations.
• The story of David and Goliath shows the confidence and success that can come when we focus on the training we have and the job to be done, rather than what the expectations of others are.
• You can get clarity about your calling (which helps you stop comparing) by just asking God for direction. But it often comes as a “slow burn” of...