The Bible says it is not wise to measure yourself by another person and covetousness is caused by doing this

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ... 

2 Corinthians 10:12  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

 

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My cleaning lady once said to me, "Don't you ever think you have to try to keep up with the Jones?"

 

I was surprised in this question.  I thought about it and answered, "No."

 

Later I was reading Bible and saw a passage of scripture which said to do this leads to covetousness.

 

To compare yourself to another is also a work of the flesh:  emulation  (Gal. 5:20)

 

emulate:  to try to out do another person, to match or surpass another person in achievement

 

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Instead we should turn to God and ask HIM what HE wants us to do, not trying to out do another person, but pleasing God in all things.  Helping people as needed instead of beating people.   For Paul says that they that do "such things" shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  (I Cor. 6:9-10 & Gal. 5:19-21)

 

And to live the way of our flesh will trouble us unnecessarily.

 

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We are born in the flesh of man, the natural man.

 

I Corinthians 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 

So God sent HIS Son, the Word, Jesus to live on this earth and die for our sins.  HIS blood was sacrificed for us that we might come to God through belief in HIM.

 

God gave us HIS Spirit so we could know the will of God and God showed us what we had been doing in the flesh was sin and caused us to go opposite to the will of our flesh and to overcome by going in the way of God by the Spirit.

 

Galatians 5

 

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

 

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

(Follow after the things the Spirit brings to our mind which produce the fruits of the Spirit.  For example:  Instead of hating those who offend us as our flesh wants to do, we learn to love and forgive them which brings forth the fruits of the Spirit.)

26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

 

Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

So we deliberately choose to love rather than to hate as this world does.  We resist the flesh by choosing to go in the way of the Holy Spirit of God.  The Spirit of God will bring to our mind the way of God and we choose that way keeping our own flesh crucified with Christ by going in the way shown us by the Spirit.

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