God expresses His goodness to His children in His own way.

Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?Matthew 20:15

Thomas J. DeLong, a professor at Harvard Business School, has noted a disturbing trend among his students and colleagues—a  “comparison obsession." He writes:  “More so than ever before, . . . business executives, Wall Street analysts, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals are obsessed with comparing their own achievements against those of others. . . . This is bad for individuals and bad for companies. When you define success based on external rather than internal criteria, you diminish your satisfaction and commitment.”

Comparison obsession isn’t new. The Scriptures warn us of the dangers of comparing ourselves to others. When we do so, we become proud and look down on them (Luke 18:9–14). Or we become jealous and want to be like them or have what they have (James 4:1). We fail to focus on what God has given us to do. Jesus intimated that comparison obsession comes from believing that God is unfair and that He doesn’t have a right to be more generous to others than He is to us (Matt. 20:1–16).

By God’s grace we can learn to overcome comparison obsession by focusing on the life God has given to us. As we take moments to thank God for everyday blessings, we change our thinking and begin to believe deep down that God is good.

I need a better focus, Lord. Help me to keep my eyes off others and instead on You and Your good heart for all of us.

上帝以祂的方式，表达对祂孩子的爱。

我的东西难道不可随我的意思用吗？因为我作好人，你就红了眼吗？-马太福音20章15节

哈佛商学院教授汤玛斯·狄隆（Thomas J. DeLong）发现他的学生及同事之间有爱比较的趋势，他写道：“比较的风气比以往更盛……无论是公司高阶主管、华尔街分析师、律师、医生，或其他专业人士，大家都争相比较自己有哪方面的成就。这对个人或公司来说，只有百害而无一利。因为当你将成功定义为外在的表现，却不去追求内在的修养，你将失去满足感以及奋斗的动力。”

爱比较并不是新鲜事，圣经也提醒我们与他人比较的潜在危险。和他人比较，会让我们骄傲看不起别人(路加福音18章9-14节) ，或是嫉妒、想要像别人一样，拥有别人所拥有的一切(雅各书4章1节) ，甚至让我们无法专注上帝要我们做的事。在耶稣的比喻中也隐含这样的教导：爱比较的心态，其实是认为上帝不公平，而且认定上帝没有权力可以对别人更加慷慨 (马太福音20章1-16节) 。

我们可以靠着上帝的恩典，专注于上帝所赐给我们的一切，克服爱比较的习惯。当我们带着感恩的心，数算上帝每日所赐下的福分，想法就可以改变，由衷相信上帝确实美好。

主啊，我需要更专注于祢。
求祢帮助我，让我不看其他的人，
而是定睛仰望祢，以及祢对众人的慈爱。

Matthew 20:1-16New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend.Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

整理：于姊妹