Thursday, April 25, 2024

In the movie Purple Rain, “The Kid” simultaneously runs from "the sins of the father" while using his abusive father’s musical talents as a benchmark to compare his own. What makes the protagonist better is that he attempts not to abuse his own love interest while creating masterful music. However, there is a common theme amongst The Kid's peers—no one understands his music.

During a rare bonding moment, The Kid asks his father to show him some beautiful music he has composed over the years. The response is, "No, man. I don't write them down. I don't have to. That's the big difference between you and me." That declaration destroys The Kid. Feeling musically inferior to his father, he also falters in his efforts to break the abuse cycle in his own relationship. The Kid could no longer measure up.

Comparing our performance to others is a human flaw that traces back to biblical times. The Pharisees and religious teachers boldly pointed out why they were better than the rest, even when history showed previous men with the same level of religious "importance" weren't. Sometimes, people don't see they are equally flawed as their adversaries until they are humbled.

Matthew 23:31-33
³¹ "But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. ³³ Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?”

Religious leaders of the time thought they had figured out how to be better than their ancestors, who persecuted (and rejected) prophets, but Jesus told a different truth. No one can measure up by changing their behavior alone. He wasn't only speaking to those religious leaders. Jesus shared a reality that would fall on all future generations: None of us are better than anyone else. We'll lie, betray, and even deny. Even if we think our good is good enough, eventually, we will be humbled.

In Purple Rain, The Kid finally realizes he is comparing himself to something that only exists in a lie, and this realization changes everything. The same is true for us. Life becomes exhausting when we try to measure up and compare ourselves to others.

Maybe it’s time to put away your measuring stick, humble yourself, and invite Jesus to be Lord of your life.

Questions:
How can you humble yourself? Are you tired of comparing your performance to others?

Next Steps:
Stop rejecting truth by studying your Bible. You can do this by diving deeper into weekend messages and joining a Bible study Group.

Prayer:
Lord, I've tried too many times to live life alone or compare my successes and failures to others. I pray to understand the lessons that have presented themselves along the way. I humbly ask for your help and for the courage to accept the help of those you place in my path. Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Romans 6:14
Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

This post was written by Jaron Camp, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut.