II 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.”
II Timothy 4:7 “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”
Matthew 25:26-27 “His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.”
I Corinthians 12:11 “But all these worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
The Beatles are almost undisputedly the most famous band ever, selling over 600 million records. Specifically, the duo of John Lennon and Paul McCartney have been revered since when they began writing songs together in 1963.
It was from the beginning that they agreed to list their names on the song credits alphabetically: Lennon-McCartney. But, as they got more famous, Paul McCartney became bitter that his name was listed second instead of first. Starting in 1976, he began individually buying up the rights to the songs and switching the order to McCartney-Lennon. A resultant legal feud began with Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, in 1995 who called McCartney “ridiculous, absurd, and petty.” The entire situation was only resolved legally in 2003, but as late as 2015, McCartney was still bitterly bringing it up in interviews.
For anyone looking in from the outside, there was plenty of fame, adulation, power, prestige, and wealth to go around. Yet, Paul McCartney compared himself to John Lennon, solely on the basis of the order of the listing of their names on the song credits, and it drove him nuts. Ridiculous, absurd, and petty are massive understatements.
Yet, how often do Christians compare ourselves to one another, in spite of all our blessings. In doing so, we too are ridiculous, absurd, and petty.
We are responsible for finishing the course God has given us. We are to exercise proper, careful, and wise stewardship – not as compared to what someone else has – but with what we have been given. In doing so, we best fulfill God’s plan for us and bring Him the glory and honor that He deserves.
PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS TO FOCUS ON GOD’S MISSION FOR US AND NOT TO BE DISTRACTED BY THE ACTIVITIES OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OTHERS. May God’s people never be ridiculous, absurd, and petty.
ADMIN: The Lennon-McCartney story comes from “The Status Game” by Will Storr.
