24.

When Others Are Better

FLASHBACK
  1. What did you experience with God this week?
  2. In the last few days, did you have the opportunity to share an experience with God with someone close to you that doesn’t know Jesus yet? Or could you pray for them or help them practically?
  3. Do you need God‘s help in an area of your life?

■ Pray together: Give thanks for your experiences, ask God for help where you need it.

■ Pray together to learn new things about God and that your relationship with God deepens and gets stronger.

BIBLE STUDY
  1. Read the passage silently. What words or phrases stick out?
  2. One person reads the passage out loud.
  3. One person retells the passage in his/her own words (Bibles closed).
  4. If necessary, the others complement what was said (Bibles closed).

1 Samuel 18:5-9

5 Whatever 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.”

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.

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Matthew 18:1-5

1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.3And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.5And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

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  1. Everyone by themselves:
    • What words or phrases stick out now? Are there any differences to what you noticed before?
    • Why do you feel drawn to those words or phrases?
    • What can you learn about people?
    • What could God be telling you?
  2. Share in the group.

 

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS & ACTION STEPS

  1. What are the consequences, if we compare ourselves to others?
  2. When was the last time you were jealous? Why? About whom were you jealous? 

■ Where are you driven by your own ambition rather than being led by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18)? Confess what you realised and submit fully to the guidance of the Holy Spirit anew (everyone by themselves).

■ Out of what you’ve read, what do you want to apply in the coming days? Note it down and then share in the group (“I will…”).

■ Tell it to God in a prayer (form groups of two or three for that).

SCRIPTURE COMMENTS

Comparison can easily lead to uncertainty and cause us to feel inferior to others. Our self-esteem diminishes continuously. We distrust others and cannot celebrate their success because we are subconsciously driven by our own ambitions, by jealousy and our competitiveness. In all this, we forget to listen to God and try with all means available to keep up and gain more.

The origin of comparison lies in distrusting God. Distrusting that He created you wonderfully and unique, distrusting that He put a calling on your life that you can discover and grow into. An attitude of constant comparison shows a lack of trust in God. But the more God’s truth and thoughts about your life starts to shape you and your thinking, the less you are susceptible to comparative thinking.

Which of the following phrases about your new identity (God‘s truth and thoughts about your life) sticks out for you?

Do you know deep in your heart that you were born to shape history, called to impact the world and created to leave a legacy?

 

 


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