Comparsions Deadly for Relationships

The family discusses the dangers of comparisons in relationships. They mention how society bombards us with unrealistic standards and images, causing us to compare ourselves and our partners. They emphasize the importance of eliminating comparisons and appreciating the depth and meaning of relationships. They also talk about forgiveness and grace, using examples from the Bible. They conclude by highlighting the significance of having a foundation in Christ for successful relationships. Welcome to Live! Behind the Veils, an atmosphere where men and women of God speak His Word to this age and bring His Kingdom to this earth. Do you have ears to hear and eyes to see what God is doing in this hour? Let us join our hosts and the family's conversation as the Holy Spirit is unfolding the Word behind the Veils. Hi, I'm Ron your host, and today the family discusses how deadly comparisons can be, especially in our relationships. Let's listen in. Comparisons. We are faced with comparisons on a constant basis today. We have television, we have, well, my gosh, we've got YouTube, we've got signs, we've got so many things and so many male and female characters, if you will, to compare ourselves to. And if you allow yourself to get into that comparison mode, you're looking and you're going, that girl looks a lot better than my wife. I think I'll try. You know, something comes into their thinking because that comparison, this is better than what I have. And we have to eliminate that comparison because that's where Satan first tempted Eve in the garden. Isn't that fruit? Doesn't that look pretty good? It looks pretty good. Yes, it does. It'll make you like God. Comparison. It's a comparing again. And so we want to eliminate comparisons because once you're committed, you can't have eyes for anything else. That's the point that's really important because we're bombarded constantly by images of this is beautiful for a man. This is what being shape is, the testosterone, all that type of stuff. And then of course, the woman being told. Right. I mean, it's constantly bombarded so much on TV, so much on anything you can imagine, any kind of social media, just constant. And then you come back to real life, not the actors, not the models, not the people that are 18 or 21 or whatever, or spent all their life keeping themselves really in shape because they've got all this money to do so. It's their job to look good so they can be a model or whatever. And then you come back to the real person that got a potbelly, the wife into three children. She doesn't look like a model anymore. And to see through the deception of the world that it projects and realize that exactly what that is. That is a deception. It's not real life. It's not even those people. Someday they're going to look just like you now. And the looks are, well, we all know this. It's been said forever, you know, the surface level is what it is, the surface level, but what's in the heart, what's in the spirit. So when you marry somebody and you're in a relationship with them, that is a special thing. That is a very, very special thing. And you're beginning to know someone and they're beginning to know you. And that's what it's all about. You know, knowing one another and loving one another and getting close to one another. That's what it's all about. And to trade that in for some good looking dame walking down the street because now she looks a lot better than what you've got. What a crock. That is such a crock. It's such a deception and people fall for that all the time. And then you know what happens? It becomes ashes in their mouth because they find out this hot looking chick is shallow or all about herself. But then it's too late because now they've destroyed a relationship that really has some depth and meaning in their lives because they've went through many, many things together. God loose people from that deception. You know, I've seen such shallow things in not only like TV and stuff, but music. There is actually a song where he sings, he can't be a man because he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me. It's a subtle thing in there, but it gives a comparison. He's not as good as me because he doesn't smoke the same brands I do. And it's a subtle thing that causes people to start, start comparing because music is a driver. People open their spirits to music and whatever music they're listening to, it drives them subconsciously. 99% of the time it's subconscious, but it has an effect in the real life atmosphere at some point in time. Yes. Comparisons can be a real stumbling block. But when I see things like temptation or to compare or to look, you know, love and lust are both four letter words that I claim to take the victory over that situation. And that is my way of stepping forward and saying, I'm not an animal and I'm different. I will not do this. Yes, we all stumble. We all get up and we try again and you keep trying and God honors that. And that's the key. I just claim who I am. And it's kind of a sidebar, you might say, but Christianity over the years has taken control of that sin, you might say, and elevated it beyond what it should be. Because in God's eyes, all sin is the same except for unbelief. And I ask him for forgiveness and he gives me forgiveness. I accept it. I take it to the sea of forgetfulness and I cast it in there and I walk away and it's not going to follow me and I'll try again. Will I fall again? I don't know. But it's something that God will help me with. He will work it out if I give myself to him the same way with all the other stuff I do wrong. What's that saying? I'm a Christian because God has forgiven me. And that doesn't mean that I don't make mistakes. Exactly. That's the truth. We can we have an example of what you're talking about in David in what happened with him in Bathsheba. And again, it goes back to comparisons in many respects. But to be considered a man after God's own heart, and a lot of people have trouble with that because of the sin that he committed. He caused her husband to be murdered and then he took her in as a wife and stuff. But you know what? He was on his face before God repenting for those things and the depth of which very few people who have not been through it don't understand. But if God doesn't have grace for people like David, people like Saul who became Paul, they have to have there has to be a grace that God gives because Paul could never have talked or preached to the families of the men or women, fathers, sons, uncles and so forth that he had killed. He never could have done that had there not been grace. Or in fact, we know that Saul on the road to Damascus was met by the Lord and blinded and so forth. But it was a major turnaround. And that can happen to anyone today too. That repentance can still be there to correct that thing. Now, the other side of that is on the other part of the relationship, if you will, there needs to be forgiveness. And that's a tough one sometimes. You know, it's very, very hard. You have in order to forgive somebody fully, you have to it has to come from the Lord because you can't do it in yourself. You just can't do it in yourself. And so the Lord does it. The relationship at the end of that is really important. Your relationship has to come from the Lord. And period. I don't care if it's rocky or if it's smooth. The last thing you want to do is blow smoke. I think it's important for this conversation that we make sure it's evident that we're talking about. I think relationships have to have a foundation of Christ if they're going to succeed. There may be relationships out there that they don't acknowledge it, but that doesn't stop God from moving in their relationship. I know we've all met people out there that they may not go to church, they may not read the Bible, but there's something about these people that you can tell that God's in their life and he's moving in their life. It kind of confounds me sometimes if I meet somebody like that and they don't line up to anything that I would call I wouldn't say godly, but I would call churchy. They don't read the Bible. They don't talk about God. They don't go to church, all that kind of stuff. And yet there's a good spirit about them. And when you look to the Lord about them, and I can think of some people right off hand, they just have something of God in their life. There's no way to put it. God's in their life, whether they recognize it or not. And there's families out there like that. And I think God's so much bigger again than what we, what the limitations we put upon him. You're talking about comparisons again in respect. And what I'm talking about is you are looking at somebody trying to ascertain or judge if they're a Christian or not, or if they're called of the Lord or not. And it's not up to us to know that. It's up to God. It's between them and God. You look at people like Samson in the Bible. He is definitely not the number one A list on the Christian list. If you look at his life, he did everything wrong, but God used him. He was one of the judges of Israel. God used him even though he was not a Christian man. He wasn't a good Jew. He wasn't a good Christian, but God used him. And that's, that's the point. God can use, will use anyone he can. I've had people, Boy Scout troop leaders, not profess to know God at all, but some of the principles that I was taught back in those days were definitely of the Lord. And a lot of it is be kind, be nice to one another. Those are fruits of the spirit. One thing you're bringing up, Alan, is one thing that has always blessed me, and that's God's integrity. Because I have two very good friends, and over the years I've witnessed how they practice the principles that God has laid out in the scriptures. And they are successful. This one guy, it seems like everything he does, he's like a cat. He lands on his feet. And I've told him time and time again. And early on in some of these friendships, I ask him, I say, where do you go to church? And one guy was, one guy was a little bit insulted because he doesn't go and he doesn't like to go. And being, and being accused of being a churchgoer was, was negative to him. And the second guy, over the years, every now and then, because I'd asked him before, a little different reaction, I accused him. I says, you've been going to church lately. And he'd say, he'd laugh and he says, not on your life. But they both exhibited the principles and walked in those principles, kind, honest people exhibiting all those things. And I told the one guy, I told him one time, I says, you know, God loves you. Someday you'll find it out. And he says, that's fine. It didn't change him one way or another. Well, family, today, the Holy Spirit has taught us that refusing comparisons is the first step in realizing the blessing that God has already given us in our lives. Experiencing the impartation of God's word through his family is life. As this time in his presence blesses you, then please subscribe to our podcast at livesbehindtheveil.com. If you would like to contact the family with questions or topics that you would like discussed, you can email them to livingetickles at livesbehindtheveil.com. Stay connected, tuned in, and grow with the family as the Lord unveils his word to us live behind the Veil.