More Mustard

Growing Daily

More Mustard

For years, I’ve been buying French’s mustard in the same familiar bottle.  It has a bold blue label across the top declaring 40% MORE!

I always just assumed it meant a better value than some competitor.  But the other day, I actually read the fine print for the first time.  It simply said, “40% more… than our 14 oz.”

I laughed out loud.  No price break.  No competitive comparison.  Just the amazing revelation that their larger bottle holds more than their smaller one!  What a ridiculous promotion.

Interestingly, Paul confronted a similar kind of comparison in 2 Corinthians.  Some people established their own standards of success and evaluated themselves accordingly.  Not surprisingly, they thought they came out looking pretty good.

Paul’s response? “When they compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

The problem wasn’t measuring growth.  It was choosing the wrong measuring stick.  We can always find someone—or some earlier version of ourselves—that makes us look impressive.  But God calls us to keep growing toward “the full and complete standard of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

Today, let’s take our eyes off comparisons and fix them on Christ.  Allow His character to show us where to grow — and trust Him to keep shaping us into His likeness.


- Ron Reid