The Comparison:
Give Your Reader a Point of Reference

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

An online devotional for writers

A Word From The Word

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. (Isaiah 53:6, NLT) 

A Word For Writers

A comparison shows what’s the same and what’s different between two objects.

• An equal comparison shows what two things have in common:
  Jenny and Ella completed their essays fast.

• A comparative shows a difference between two things:
  Jenny finished her essay faster than Ella.

The human brain relies on comparisons to organize information. It’s one way we can process all the stimuli that floods our senses each day.

Think about the comparison between Jenny and Ella. Your mind has them pegged as quick writers. They finished their drafts in less time than was expected. And Jenny? Well, if you’re in a situation where efficiency is important, then you want her on your team.

God knows that our human minds need a way to understand Him. His Word is full of comparisons – concrete similarities and contrasts. 

For instance, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away,” gives us a point of reference.  People in Bible times knew all about sheep. They need guidance. They tended to wander. The comparison helps us understand what God sees: confused creatures that need our Father’s staff to pull us back on the path.

Comparison makes for clearer writing. When you use comparison, you give your reader a point of reference she can understand. 

A Wise Word

Use comparison to give readers a point of reference.

A Word To Pray

Loving Father,

Your Word contains comparisons that let me understand you better. Help me do the same for my readers. Show me how to make my writing clearer with good comparisons.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

---

More Devotionals for Writers

The Sentence Fragment: Use It Judiciously. To Make a Point.

The Mixed Metaphor: Confusing or Memorable?

The Metaphor: Use It to Express an Intangible Idea Tangibly ...

The Synonym: A Clever Way to Repeat Yourself and Write Persuasively ...

The Superlative: Don’t Resort to Them As an Excuse  ...

The Preposition: A Little Word with Big Connections ...

The Word Picture: How Jesus Used 1-Sentence Stories ...

The Comparative: Great, Greater, Greatest Give Clarity ...

The Illustration: Write a Story with Purpose. Jesus Did!

The Illustration: Write a Story with Purpose. Jesus Did!

Wise Words: Devotionals for Writers ...

More Devotionals for Writers on our Pinterest board ...

Join other Christian Writers in the Writing for Ministries Community ...

Free Mini-Course: Getting Started Writing Devotionals ...

Get more devotionals for writers delivered to your inbox each week:

Return from The Comparison to Nonprofit Copywriter home

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Powered by SBI! Learn more here.