There are invisible thieves who can rob you of your contentment. One of them does so by convincing you to put too much stock in (a) comparing yourself to others (in person or online) and (b) the judgments, criticisms, or negative opinions of others.
Is it me, or did you just nod your head in agreement?
Philosopher Alain de Bottom even describes something called “status anxiety,” a deep-seated concern many people have with somehow not measuring up. He calls it a worry which is “so pernicious” that it can ruin “extended stretches of our lives…” Yikes!
This worry happens not only in our person-to-person relationships, but also online. Alex Williams writes that Instagram is “the highest achievement yet in social-media voyeurism” and “a new form of torture”!
So what do we do?
This is what I talked about on September 15, 2019 in Part 2 of a teaching series called, “Contentment – Being at peace in a world of more more more.” We looked at Paul’s example in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 and applied it to our own lives.
If we heed his advice, it will result in more peace and contentment. Good things!
Part 2 is called “The Thief of Comparison and Criticism.” Take a look! The video is here (and the audio-only link is underneath).
Audio only:
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Matthew Ruttan 
Thoughts?