![\"Unfundamentalist](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/648\/2016\/08\/Unfundamentalist-Parenting.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Image: Pixabay<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to make comparisons while parenting.<\/p>\n Our translation of the Bible is better than their translation. You are nicer than them. You are smarter, cleaner, healthier\u2026 It\u2019s absurdly natural for humans to want to compare, but there are few things more dangerous during the Christian journey than spiritually comparing yourself to others. We constantly evaluate ourselves against the standards of others without wholeheartedly putting our trust in God.<\/p>\n The temptation is to judge others and self-righteously pat ourselves on the back for being \u201cgood Christians.\u201d Or we can become hopelessly depressed. Guilt, shame, pride, and legalism can quickly creep into our spiritual lives when we start comparing, and we often start constructing false ideals that are impossible to achieve. We need to recognize that everyone\u2014including ourselves\u2014is God\u2019s creation, holy and sacred, made in His image.<\/p>\n Christ continually warns against judging and comparing ourselves to others, but unfortunately, much of Christian culture has failed to grasp this. Infighting, theological bickering, and spiteful attacks divide Christian communities and continually ruin relationships\u2014just go to a Christian website and read through the comment sections. Hate is alive and well.<\/p>\n The world watches as churches split, pastors indict, and Christians accuse each other of being heretics, false prophets, and liars. We positively reinforce the communities we align ourselves with while simultaneously tear down those who disagree with us.<\/p>\n Christians have a tendency to self-destruct because we love attacking ourselves. Instead of the fruits of the Spirit, we can easily exhibit the fruits of our secular society: revenge, bigotry, manipulation, disdain, disgust, power, control, profit, and alienation.<\/p>\n As parents, it\u2019s easy to lose sight of Christ\u2019s message, one that was simply about service, sacrifice, and love. Let\u2019s not let our hidden agendas\u2014ones that are often based on comparative measures\u2014separate us from the love of God<\/p>\n
\nHymns are better than choruses.
\nThe Contemporary service is better than the Traditional one.
\nOur version of baptism is better than theirs.
\nOur church is larger than theirs.
\nOur denomination is better than theirs.
\nOur theology is better than theirs.
\nWe attend more church, tithe more, volunteer more, read more scripture, pray longer, and worship more than them. <\/em><\/p>\n
\nWe gossip less, smoke less, drink less, swear less, party less, and sin less than them.
\nWe\u2019re married and they\u2019re divorced.
\nWe practiced abstinence while they had premarital sex.
\nWe have more Christian friends than them.
\nOur understanding of scripture is better than theirs.
\nWe believe in young-earth creationism and they believe in evolution.
\nWe\u2019re Democrat and they\u2019re Republican.
\nWe\u2019re vegan and they love to hunt, fish, and eat meat.
\nWe homeschool and they put their kids in public schools.
\nWe eat organic and they always eat fast food.
\nWe spank our children and they don\u2019t.
\nWe are blessed with money and they aren\u2019t.
\nWe were missionaries and they weren\u2019t. <\/em><\/p>\n
\n