It astounds me how much of our life is a matter of perspective and in turn comparison. The basis for all value, all enjoyment, all better and all worse seems to come from comparing what we have with others. Take a man on the street and another in a mansion. Give them a one room house with heat and air and food and to the poor man you’d find such joy in his new home, in the rich man you’d find discouragment and discontentment. There is no value in the house itself. The one room house is a one room house, but it’s the two men who give it value. This is alarming and I’ll tell you why.

This means that our entire society is nearly all based upon the concept of comparison. You have a house with more rooms, I have a car with bigger tires. The only reason you want bigger tires is not because bigger tires exist, but rather the fact they exist and you don’t have them. This fits our human, sinful, deprave way of living. Give me a glass of water in a desert and it’s something to be thankful for. Give me a glass in a restaurant and I’ll take the wine please.

If this all seems far fetched and foolish then I’m failing at properly expressing this idea (or failed at thinking it in the first place). My only point is that it’s easy to be caught in the trap of comparison and perspective. The world runs on jealousy and coveting and nothing seems to have a value in and of itself. Everything we want is determined by what everyone has. It takes a Godly, humble, Christ-centered perspective to battle back such a deciving trick. When I moved into my house I was so overjoyed and excited. It’s not big, but it’s a place to call my own. A year later, it’s all too easy to say I want a new place based on what “others” have. Us Americans had better be careful with our words “rich” and “poor” less we heap judgement upon our backs.