1. Questions:
- Did you ever compare others or get compared?
- What do you feel?
- What do you think about comparing and being compared?
Intact with kids and collect their answers!
2.1 Compare Example #1: Saul & David
1Samuel 18: 15Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well. 6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. 7As they danced, they sang:“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
Saul’s Growing Jealousy of David
8Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. 10The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand 11and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
Key Points:
- “Comparison is the thief of joy.” always be careful when comparing others or being compared. It could affect other’s feeling a lot!
- Don’t feel jealous and take bad action when being compared! It is always a bad thing to take jealousy action when being compared!
2.2 Compare Example #2 : John Baptist & Jesus
John3 22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
John Baptist’s Response
27To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.”
Key Points:
- Viewing the comparison from God’s point of view. God create everyone with unique purpose! Praise God for giving people different gift other than you since God may use him differently.
- Pleasing God instead! King Saul wants to kill David so he will be the only people be praised, but John baptist think from God’s point of view, he need please God instead himself, so he say differently and act differently.
2.3 Compare Example #3: Jesus’ teaching in comparison between Peter and John
John21: 20Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was followin
g them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” 22Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
Key Points:
Jesus: Mind your own business! Follow me!
3: Summary about compare: Look, Think, Act
We cannot stop others from comparing us in real worlds, we just need learn the comparison stories from Bible and take the following 3 principles carefully:
- Look: View from God’s point of view!
- Think: Please God not the people!
- Act: Follow Jesus
Encouraging words for Kids:
- Be grateful. Be thankful. Be happy even we are compared most of the time!
- Honor your parents even they like to compare us with others!