One distinguishing trait of a Christian is being an absolutist rather than a relativist.

Of course you know that as Christians, we are to believe that certain things are absolute rather than relative, which subscribes to the ever popular mantra, “Everything is relative.” Everything is NOT relative. If it were, then that statement defeats itself (since that is an absolute statement).

But what I mean by being an absolutist in this instance is that we are to compare ourselves to God, an absolute being, rather than with one another. Have you noticed how our happiness depends almost entirely upon how we compare with those few around us? We often get depressed or perturbed when someone we know posts on social media how great his/her life seems to be. You may have even felt pretty good about yourself until you find out that your friend is doing significantly better than you. Or the opposite: You may be going through a really tough time until you find out that someone you know is facing tragedy beyond anything you have experienced. This, actually makes you feel good about your situation in comparison. But either way, our happiness is dependent upon how we compare with those around us. We are relativists in this sense.

But we are to be absolutists. Our joy, happiness, should lie in God. We are to remind ourselves of what we truly deserved but what we received instead. The devil will make you see only those in your circle and play with your emotions. He wants you to either be miserable or happy only by comparing yourself to those around you. He has succeeded if your misery or joy depends on your comparison rather than on God. He can make you miserable or happy only by presenting to you those who are better off than you or worse off than you!

Be an absolutist when it comes to joy. Let your joy be in God rather than in people or things.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” Phil 4:4

PH