Why Comparison Steals Your Joy

Sometimes the desire to pray remains, but the words disappear. Grief, disappointment, uncertainty, and unanswered questions can make even familiar prayers feel impossible. Scott Sauls reflects on Tish Harrison Warren's experience of loss and the extraordinary encouragement of Romans 8: when we do not know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and the risen Christ continues to represent us before the Father. A tender and practical message about prayer, suffering, and the grace of a God who welcomes us in our weakness. TAGS: why is prayer so difficult, how to pray, when you can't pray, Romans 8 explained, Holy Spirit intercession, unanswered prayers, prayer during grief, Christian prayer life, Pastor Scott Sauls, Tish Harrison Warren, prayer and suffering, God hears your prayers

After fourteen years together, pastor Scott Sauls and his family said goodbye recently to Lulu, their beloved dog, affectionately known as “The Greeter.” Her passing has left them grieving, grateful, and reflecting on why the loss of a pet can hurt so deeply. In this episode, Scott shares favorite memories of Lulu, considers what Scripture teaches about God's care for animals, and explores a question many pet owners ask: Will we see our beloved pets again in heaven? Drawing from Rudyard Kipling, N.T. Wright, and the Bible's promise of a renewed creation, Scott reflects on the ways our pets give us glimpses of God's faithful love and why Christians have good reason to hope that death may not have the final word in these cherished relationships.

Jesus promises rest for the weary, but what happens when following him still leaves us worn out? Scott Sauls explores the difference between the burdens life places on us and the burdens we add by trying to prove ourselves. Through Scripture, a memorable scene from Parenthood, and insights from Tim Keller, Scott shows how grace frees us to live faithfully within our limits, knowing that Christ has already accomplished what we could never do for ourselves.

One of the stranger pressures of religious life is the pressure to appear as though your religion is working. Scott Sauls reflects on what happens when the person everyone else knows becomes different from the person we know ourselves to be. Through Psalm 32, Jesus’ story of two men praying in the temple, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s reflections on confession, this episode explores how grace helps us tell the truth, ask for help, and become more fully known without abandoning wisdom, boundaries, or responsibility.

Feeling like an outsider at church can come from very different places. Scott Sauls brings together C. S. Lewis’s uneasy experience of worship and Hannah’s painful encounter with a priest who misread her grief, asking what each story can teach us. Rooted in Ephesians 2, this episode considers loneliness, church hurt, the need for trustworthy community, and the belonging Jesus has secured for his people even when God’s house does not yet feel like home.

You apologized. They forgave you. But when you are alone, the memory still returns. Scott Sauls considers why receiving forgiveness can be so difficult, and how the mercy of Christ meets us without minimizing the harm we have caused. Through 1 John 3 and the wisdom of historic Christian prayers and confessions, this episode explores lingering regret, responsible efforts to make amends, and the help of another believer who can remind us of what God has said when our own hearts condemn us.

What do we need when the explanations people offer only make our pain harder to carry? Scott Sauls reflects on Kate Bowler’s experience of cancer and the prayers of Psalms 13 and 23, considering how sorrow and trust can belong in the same prayer. For anyone waiting on frightening news or walking beside someone who is, this episode explores the comfort of Christ’s presence, the freedom to lament, and the quiet care we can offer when we cannot explain or fix what hurts.

Why does someone else’s success have the power to make us dissatisfied with our own lives? Comparison promises that we will finally feel secure when we have what someone else has—or move a little further ahead. But the finish line never stops moving. In this episode, Scott Sauls explores why comparison and envy steal our joy, what Psalm 73 teaches us about finding our true “portion” in God, and how the gospel frees us to enjoy the life we have actually been given. Drawing from C.S. Lewis, Bertrand Russell, and his book The Mercy King, Scott considers a simple but liberating truth: Someone else having more does not mean that you have less. This is Part 4 of a 12-part series exploring themes from The Mercy King. Follow the Scott Sauls podcast for weekly Christian reflections on faith, identity, spiritual growth, and life with Jesus.

Most of us reach for the phone before our feet hit the floor, hoping something on the screen will tell us we matter. That reflex points at something older than technology. In part 3 of this 12-part series on The Mercy King, Scott Sauls looks at what Scripture actually means by idolatry, and why it has almost nothing to do with statues. An idol usually isn't a bad thing. It's a good thing we start asking to carry weight it was never built to carry. Money is a good gift until we ask it for peace. Recognition is a good gift until we need it to tell us who we are. The episode moves through David Foster Wallace's "This Is Water," Tolstoy's judge Ivan Ilyich, who succeeded by every standard his world recognized and found on his deathbed that something had gone wrong at the center of it, Tennessee Williams on the catastrophe of success, God's promise in Ezekiel 36 to remove a heart of stone and give a heart of flesh, and C.S. Lewis on aiming at heaven. Idols demand our sacrifices. Jesus became the sacrifice. Idols keep score. Jesus meets our failure with mercy. The grip doesn't break because we get strong enough to break it. It breaks when we start believing we're already loved, already secure, already home.

What does true success look like in the kingdom of God? Scott Sauls explores how Jesus challenges our culture’s pursuit of status, control, power, and recognition—and offers a radically different vision of greatness. The world tells us that success means climbing higher, defeating our rivals, and making a name for ourselves. Jesus shows us another way: humility, sacrifice, service, and love. His victory was not achieved by crushing his enemies, but by giving himself for them. In this episode, discover why humility is not weakness, how servant leadership redefines strength, and why lasting purpose is often found in the places the world overlooks. If you are wrestling with ambition, identity, leadership, or the desire for a meaningful life, the way of Jesus offers a better path. Follow the Scott Sauls podcast for weekly Christian reflections on faith, culture, spiritual growth, and life with Jesus.