Go deeper with others.

As our “GOAT Problem” series comes to a close, we’re reminded that Scripture does not condemn confidence, ambition, or achievement; what it confronts is how easily those good things become distorted by comparison and competition. When our personal growth turns into superiority, our confidence turns into scorn, and our ambition becomes self-centered, we drift away from the way of Jesus – the Way of Life. This week we wrap up by offering two more alternatives to “Better Than” and reframe both confidence and ambition as Jesus would have us live them out.

We’re in the 3rd week of a series that started with a simple idea: seeking a better way than “better than.” Each week we’ve looked at a practice to help us overcome our natural propensity toward unhealthy comparison and competition with others. This week, we go “all the way back” to try to understand where this temptation came from – and how Jesus himself was able to overcome it.

As we continue exploring The GOAT Problem, this week’s focus turns to the anxiety that comparison creates. When our sense of worth becomes tied to how we measure up against others, anxiety takes root. Scripture reveals that comparison doesn’t just distort how we see others—it reshapes how we see ourselves, God, and our own value. How can we avoid the anxiety of comparison?