Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself? —Habakkuk 1:13
If the devil can lure us into sin through feelings of shame and worthlessness, he can do the same through feelings of arrogance and superiority. He’ll even help us construct a form of pseudo-righteousness, using comparison as its cornerstone: You’re not really that bad. Others are much more sinful than you.
As long as we’re comparing, we’re not repenting.
The Pharisee in the temple fixated on his self-acclaimed superiority, and he left that sacred place as far from God as he ever was. Habakkuk might have been edging that line himself when he questioned God’s choice of the Chaldeans as instruments of judgment. He was right, of course, the Chaldeans were indeed a wicked people. But where Habakkuk’s argument began to unravel was in thinking that he and the rest of Judah deserved a more respectable enemy.
His complaint revealed his heart, proving how deeply embedded pride was and how greatly he needed to repent. That meant he needed to stop comparing himself to others and start listening to God.
Make it Personal
If you often compare yourself to others, recognize that doing so impedes your spiritual growth. Ask God to remove this from your way of thinking.