Reminders for Your Spiritual Journey

Teddy Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” The Week, 3/3/23, p.17.  Comparison is the act of seeing or acknowledging two or more people, objects, or situations and noting how the attributes of each are similar and how they differ. For example, the weather was much warmer yesterday than it is today.  That type of comparison is based on observable facts.

What I believe Teddy Roosevelt might have been talking about is the human tendency to compare ourselves or our situations with other people and making value judgements––better or worse, richer or poorer, fatter or slimmer, stronger or weaker, faster or slower and so on.  When we make such comparisons, we often find either that we or the other person or group has less or more of whatever we consider desirable. We either feel that we and our situations are more or less advantageous. That kind of comparison is often tainted by feelings and opinions. We might either feel envious or hold feelings of superiority. Making value comparisons can indeed rob us of our joy!

James 2:1-5 describes the kind of comparisons we should avoid: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”

This is not to say that we should never make comparisons. How else are we to know for whom to pray or to whom to show mercy. In the Bible, the dichotomy is set forth as using righteous rather than unrighteous judgements. In plain language, we need to think, speak and act out of love. Treating others fairly and without judgment is fulfilling the command to "love your neighbor as yourself" James 2:8. For Christians, Jesus is the primary model for this, as He set aside His own rights as the son of God to serve others. 

Scripture repeatedly states that God shows no partiality or favoritism. Believers are commanded not to pervert justice by favoring the rich or deferring to the great, nor should they be biased in favor of the poor. Jesus taught that the entire Law and the Prophets are summed up in the principle of treating others as you wish to be treated. (Matthew7:12) This standard challenges us to consider the needs and feelings of others before acting. “So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality.” Acts 10:3, and neither should we.

According to Wikipedia, “Authenticity is the quality of being genuine or real. You might question the authenticity of your eccentric uncle's photo of a UFO. The word authenticity is the state of something being authentic, or legitimate and true.” We all like to think we are coming across as authentic, but that very thought betrays the fact that we feel we must make an effort to appear authentic.  Genuine authenticity should not require us to put on an act or pretend. Yet, it is human nature to want to impress others.  We might even practice in front of a mirror before an important interview, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is a good idea to be aware of how others see us as long as we are not trying to deceive anyone.

Vocabulary.com lists several synonyms for the word authentic that might help us understand: “Genuine: Not fake or adulterated; Real: Actually being what it is represented to be; Actual: Existing in fact; True to the Original: Conforming to the original, and Bona fide: Made in good faith.” Each of these can help us better understand the depth and scope of authenticity and psychologists and philosophers have studied the implications of striving to become our most honestly authentic selves. Some have gone so far as to suggest that it should be everyone’s main goal in life.

The Bible defines being our authentic selves as living out our new identity in Christ, rather than conforming to worldly pressures or hiding behind masks. Authenticity means embracing our role as God’s "masterpiece", being honest about imperfections, and walking humbly in grace-filled integrity. Ephesians 2:10 points out that: “You are God’s handiwork, created for good works.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that: “If anyone is in Christ, the old is gone and the new has come.” Romans 12:2 warns us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.”  For: “You are fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14. Ultimately, biblical authenticity is about loving God and others in truth and allowing His grace to transform us into who He designed us to be. 

A young boy was standing outside a veterinary clinic. When a woman saw him, she asked if he was waiting to see the doctor. The boy politely replied, "Yes, I'm having my dog put in neutral." Apparently, this is a common procedure for humans as well. Reader's Digest, December 2006, p.61.

Apathy is a state of indifference, characterized by a lack of emotion, motivation, enthusiasm, or interest in people, things, ideas or actions. It signifies a "lack of feeling" and often involves a passive, unconcerned attitude toward important matters or daily activities. For example, people might feel some apathy toward politics and neglect to vote. Apathy can cause some people to watch without seeming to care or pay attention when they see someone in danger and might standby and say or do nothing to help. Some people are so apathetic that they might not be able to respond appropriately to much of anything.

There are many possible causes of apathy. If someone appears indifferent, it might be because they have something more pressing on their mind than what is taking place around them.  If someone seems listless, it might be that they have an illness or are tired from lack sleep. If they seem unconcerned it might be because they have bigger concerns of their own.  Someone who seems passive or detached, might be clinically depressed and are unable to feel much of anything.  A lack of enthusiasm or motivation might also indicate a medical or emotional problem. 

We should not judge anyone for their seeming lack of interest. However, sometimes apathy indicates that the person does not see or feel a reason to take an interest in what is under discussion or is happening.  We have all been obligated to sit through pointless meetings or lectures that bore us and we feel neither interest nor motivation to participate.

When we Christians try to motivate others to believe in God and come to our church and enthusiastically worship with us and to participate in our missions, we need to understand what needs to happen to overcome their hesitancy. We need to put ourselves in their shoes and have some empathy for where they are in their lives or on their faith journey.  We also need to understand our own motivations. What is it that keeps us from becoming apathetic, if indeed we ourselves have not slipped into a state of apathy.

The Bible characterizes spiritual apathy as a dangerous condition where passion for God's truth wanes, leading to a hardened heart and a lack of willingness to act on spiritual convictions. The Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to cultivate zeal, to: "not be slothful in zeal" but to be "fervent in spirit" Romans 12: 21. Psalm 51:17 treats apathy as a sin that requires acknowledging the condition and turning back to God with a "contrite heart".

During times of indifference, believers are encouraged to "force" intake of scripture and prayer, treating them as necessary spiritual “medicine” even when feelings of motivation are absent. Disconnection fuels apathy! Therefore, believers are urged to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds" and not neglect meeting together: Hebrews 10:24-25.

Enthusiasm is contagious! It is when we display our zeal for God’s Word and its teachings that we can inspire other Christians and nonbelievers alike to want to find the joy in spiritual activities.