How do I keep my eyes on my own walk with the Lord? It seems like everyone in my church has it all together while I am struggling.
I am glad that you want to “keep your eyes on YOUR OWN WALK with the Lord, for it is not helping matters at all by “comparing yourself with others.” We read in 2 Corinthians 10:12, “For we dare not class ourselves or COMPARE OURSELVES with those who commend themselves. But they, MEASURING THEMSELVES BY THEMSELVES, AND COMPARING THEMSELVES AMONG THEMSELVES, are not wise.” When we care about “comparing ourselves with others” we can easily fall into one of two errors: 1) We may think we are BETTER THAN OTHERS (like the false teachers who thought they were better than the Apostle Paul in this passage). 2) We may think we are WORSE THAN OTHERS (like you are apparently doing by comparing yourself with those in your local church).
The problem with making these comparisons is very simple; we are setting ourselves up for failure by having THE WRONG STANDARD! God has given Christians (i.e. believers in Jesus Christ) a TRUE STANDARD to measure ourselves by and that standard is Jesus Christ. We see this clear standard in the following verses:
“Let this mind by in your which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrew 12:2).
“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, there you should follow His steps” (1st Peter 2:21).
We could multiply verses that teach us this same truth. Christ alone is our TRUE STANDARD. By learning of Him, we will learn to “have His mind.” We are to keep “looking unto Jesus” as He walked this earth as a dependent Man who lived the perfect life of faith. As we see Him suffering from the hands of wicked unbelievers, we learn that He is our supreme EXAMPLE and we are to “follow His steps.” In these three verses we are surely taught that CHRIST IS THE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH and we must keep our eyes riveted on Him! And thus, we are exhorted in 1 John 2:6, “He who says he abides in Him ought to himself walk JUST AS HE WALKED.” I would encourage you to read and meditate long and hard on John 15:1-8 where Jesus teaches us how we MUST ABIDE IN HIM if we are going to “bear fruit for God.” We must remain in fellowship with Him through prayer and reading the scriptures, and allow the Spirit of God to put Christ before our hearts and minds (see John 16:12-15 and 2 Corinthians 3:18).
One of my favorite verses that brings out that Christ alone is our TRUE STANDARD and OBJECT is Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but CHRIST LIVES IN ME; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Paul knew the secret of a godly walk in this life; it is by always keeping Christ before his mind and heart. By studying Christ’s life through the Word of God Paul could then allow Christ’s life to be manifested through him.
This, dear friend, is the answer to your question. Someone may be thinking, “But didn’t Paul once tell other believers to “Follow me?” Yes, he did, and I will quote the verse that speaks of this. In 1 Corinthians 11:1 we read, “Be ye followers of me, EVEN AS I ALSO AM OF CHRIST” (KJV). We can indeed look at other Christians and “follow their example” if their life is so exemplary that it is obvious they are “following Christ” (see Hebrews 13:7). (DO) (625.3)