Object lessons - 5 minute devotionals to give - Pork Rinds and BBQ Potato Chips

           The other day in the office, Anna excitedly came into the office carrying 2 bags, one in each hand.

 She said," Dr. Guerra has always been giving me a hard time about how nasty pork rinds are and how bad they are for you. I just happened to buy some BBQ potato chips and look at the back -

pork rinds 90 calories      BBQ chips 150
pork rinds  6 g fat            BBQ chips 10
pork rinds   1 carb           BBQchips 15
pork rinds  0 g sugar        BBQ chips 2
pork rinds  8g protein       BBQ chips 2
pork rinds Vit.A 2%         BBQ chips 0%
I can't believe he gives me such a hard time!"
                 Well that night we went to Sam's and what would I see but

As only Sam's can do it, mega pork rinds! After my encounter with Anna I put this in my cart because pork rinds are good for you! Then it hit me - I had bought into the lie. When we want something to look good, we compare it to something that looks worse.We do this in our spiritual lives.Paul says in 2Cor 10:12,18 (NLT) 

But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

                  Non- Christians and Christians alike are guilty of this. I once shared with a guy and he said, "Jim, if I am going to hell it is going to be packed because I'm the best person I know." What was he doing - he was comparing his righteousness to those around him and he came out looking pretty good. The problem is that the standard we are compared to is not fellow sinful humans(BBQ chips), it is the perfection of God. God is perfect, Heaven is sinless, and we can't approach that glory in our sinful states. That is why "God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Jesus we might become righteous." (2Cor5:21) He took all our sins and took them on Him on the cross(1Pet.2:24) because the "soul that sins - it shall die"(Ezek.18:20) , the penalty for sin is death(Rom. 6:23), and "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."(Heb.9:22)

                    Like I said, Christians aren't off the hook as to this wrong thinking. When Jesus met with his disciples and ate fish with them after His resurrection, he told Peter about Peter's great but painful future and Peter responded to this by pointing at John and saying,"what about him?" We often live a comfortable and safe, and non-sacrificial, not completely sold out nor obedient,non- radical Christian life because we compare ourselves to everyone else in the body and think we are doing really well. The problem is that God has a plan for my life that is different from everyone else's and I will answer to him for what I've done with what He has given me not what He has given someone else and how I did compared to them. (Matt 25:15-23)

                    So let's stop comparing ourselves to others and compare ourselves to Christ. Not only is He the ultimate standard and example, but He puts His very life inside of those who have received Him to help them grow into this impossible task of living up to perfection.