Why Church Unity and Christ's Sacrifice Pales in Comparison

To begin with a caveat: I'm sure these thoughts are neither clever or original.

So, then...

I think in Christian circles, it is commonly recognized that comparing your blessings with another person's is entirely unhelpful and dangerous. Comparing your blessings to others leads to jealousy, dissatisfaction with what the Lord has provided, and ultimately unbelief that the Lord knows what He's doing. But, something I've been thinking of lately is how dangerous it is to compare one's HARDSHIPS with another person's. 

Jesus died, ransomed the lost, and brought a multitude of His image-bearers together as one. By paying the ultimate price (enduring the greatest hardship of history), He created a single bride for himself - the church. 

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1) 

Comparing hardships is just too easy. Sometimes we use it as a tool to bring comfort to ourselves. "I'm going thru something hard - but they are going thru something much worse, so I can't complain." And sometimes we use comparing to help others know our pain is greater. "Yeah, you've experienced hardship, but _, _, and _ never happened to you. So you can't truly understand how I feel."

This is the danger I see: In both those examples, the result isolates. If your problem isn't as difficult as someone else's then you are in a boat all by yourself. And if no one's pain is as great as your own - you are also in a boat alone.  

A benefit of being in Christ's body is the binding fellowship that we enjoy. Comparing hardships only serves to isolate us from other believers. It limits the encouragement we recieve, and the comfort we find in God's people. It inhibits the way we encourage others and makes us believe that we couldn't possibly offer support in the right way.  Comparing difficulties puts each person in their own box, thus diminishing the unity of the church - a Body that should be ONE.

What's more, comparing trials ultimatly casts a shadow on Christ's work. He is the only one in a box by himself. His life + pain + death + victory can never be equaled. He endured all, lovingly and humble - and a supreme blessing from Him is that His church is never alone again. Yes, we have each other - bound eternally together as one people. But we also have HIM. In the midst of our pain, He is there. Thru the trials, difficulties and hardships - HE IS THERE. 

Attempting to isolate ourselves in the midst of difficulty is anti-redemption and anti-Christian. It displays dissatisfaction in how our Lord chose to bring us comfort, and unbelief that God chose best. 

Whatever the difficulty is: Physical trouble, spiritual trouble, circumstances, accidents, events - I don't want to compare hardships in my life with anyone else's experience. Instead, I want to show faith and thankfulness that the Lord is with me and I want to take comfort in His people. The people that God graciously redeemed that we might be one - even as Jesus and the Father are One (John 17).

...

Does any of that make sense?