Pastor Andrew “Hammo” Hamilton caught up with Leah and Dan recently, to talk why we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. Read his insights below.
Are you naturally competitive? I am, painfully so. It’s part of who I am, for better or worse. Sometimes it drives me to do my best. Other times, it nearly crushes me.
I started going to the gym about a year and a half ago. I’ve built up a good rhythm. There’s one machine I use to work my lats. On a strong day, I load it to 110. That feels like a solid effort.
Then one day, I saw this young guy, probably 25, next to me. He was pulling the entire stack. With one arm. Turns out he’d even added extra plates on top. I just stood there thinking, I’ve got a long way to go. And yeah, I felt sick standing next to him.
It’s not a one-time thing either. Just yesterday, I was on the exercise bike. I usually ride between levels 7 and 10. If I’m pushing it, maybe level 12. The guy next to me? Level 26. He was absolutely grinding it out, sweat pouring off him.
And what do I do? The same thing we all do: I compare. And usually, comparison ends in pride… or disappointment. For me, it was disappointment.
But here’s the shift I’m learning to make. Being content with who I am, it’s not just helpful, it’s necessary.
It’s not always easy, but it’s freeing.
I want to read a verse from Galatians 5: “That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.”
That line hits me hard: Each of us is an original.
I’m 61 now. The guys I’m tempted to compete with are half my age. It’s absurd to even try to measure up. But still, I fall into it. Then I take a breath and remember: This is who God made me to be.
And that’s enough.
Listen to Hammo’s full message below.