Everything is Relative – Or is it? Relatively Speaking

I was speaking with a younger member of our church the other day and I said to her something to the effect of “Well you young things can do that.” 

She looked at me and exclaimed, “I am far from young!”

My reply was, “Well, relatively speaking.” After all, I was twenty years her senior and she was young comparatively.

On my way home, I was thinking about how often we think in terms of relatively speaking. Some of the time we might say it out loud, as I had done. But I think more often than not, we say it in our head. “Well, I am better, younger, older, better looking, more spiritual, more wealthy, more clever, more spiritual (we like that one) ….. and the list goes on. We like to use ourselves as the standard against which we compare others – but I think we are missing the boat.

Let us look at David. David was a true man of God, yet he committed so many sins against the Lord; and lucky him, they are displayed publicly all over the place in scripture. Have you ever said to yourself, “Well, at least I would not do that! Why would anyone with such a close relationship to God do such a thing? As if God would not notice.” Ever wonder about that?

There are so many examples in scripture that demonstrate how they went against the Lord’s wishes – over and over. And we think, “Boy if I were there and had all those wonderful things done for me and my family over all the years as they did, I certainly would not act that way!” Ha! Oh yes, you would! Let us not deceive ourselves. Every time we get angry, every time we say something we will later regret (and ultimately will have to apologize for – or at least should do so), every time we compare someone to ourselves with a superior attitude, every time we see or hear of someone sinning and do not stop to pray for them – we have gone against the Lord’s wishes.

The only standard that we should ever use in our relatively speaking is the Lord Jesus Christ. Against that standard, we all fall short – and can never hope to be as he was when he walked the earth. The Bible shows us the patterns and thoughts that we are to follow, but we need to read it, commit it to heart, and share it with others. Yes, share it just as the Lord did when he was about his father’s business. He not only lived it, but he shared it with those who did not know.

So the next time you catch yourself thinking in relatively speaking terms, think again; put yourself next to Christ and see if you can think or say the same thing. Then pray for your friends, loved ones, acquaintances, or whomever you are thinking about. This is where we so often fall short. We must be the intercessory that they need to help them change their life…… and our own.