“The secret to having it all is believing that you already do.” – Unknown
It was one of those days, a day when my own insecurities creeped in and made me feel that dreadful word, jealous.{where’s my face palm emoji} Why are they so much better than me, why do I get overlooked? In my mind I was justifying all of the reasons to feel like this, but my heart knew that these feelings were simply the devil trying his best to bring me down, to make me feel and act out of jealously. And did I give in to those feelings? Yes, I did. I put on the fake smile, when inside I was dying–why them, why not me?!
How often does that feeling creep in on you?
How often do we sit and think about what others have that we don’t? I know that I am just as guilty as the next person, even if it’s just a brief thought.
Comparison kills joy.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2
God created us to be so much more than joy stealers. When we let our minds wander to what we don’t have, it takes so much away from what we do have. And sometimes, when we do look at another person’s life, the bitterness that builds up inside begins to show up on the outside—stealing joy, not only for yourself, but for others.
KNOW THIS: God has ahhhmazing plans for your life. You may not always be able to see them and they may look completely different from someone else or from what you thought they would, but ultimately, still amazing. He is using YOU (He chose you) to further His kingdom, whether you can see it right now or not. So push through. When comparison starts to creep in, because I promise you, it will; go ahead and tell that devil to get off your back, and seek God. He is your refuge when you can’t seem to find the joy. Ask Him to show you your own blessings, your own reasons for joy. They are there.
God created us each to be who He intended, not being someone else. So, please, let’s all stop the comparison game and choose to be free from it, to seek Him, to seek joy, to seek being the person God wants each of us to be, for His glory—be her.
Dear Lord, I pray that each person reading this seeks you daily, that they know the feelings of comparison come from the one who wants to wreak havoc in our lives. These feelings can be overcome by seeking You in all we do, by knowing these hard times will come, but Your strength will overpower those feelings of inadequacy, giving us not only the power to overcome, but knowing how to react. Helping us find true joy for that person in their time of happiness, knowing that their happiness does not diminish our own—we are all chosen, we are all loved, we all have our own purpose and calling. Thank You for loving each of us in such a way. We love You and praise You, through the hard times and the great times, please help us to find that joy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Traci, you are so right! I love where God is taking you on this journey to our eternal home. Just so you know, others compare themselves to you and find they come up short as well. We all do this at some point in life. Thanks for being God’s spokeswoman at this time. So many people, especially young women, look up to you! Love you Aunt Ann
Thank you, Aunt Ann! I am thankful to get to do this, although I never ever ever thought of myself as doing anything like it until the last couple of years. When God calls you to do something, He equips you to be able to. Thankfully, He gives me the words and I have a big sis who proofreads for me! Love you!
Traci, I am very proud of you and this information is outstanding. Your honesty is refreshing and you are correct, we all have problems, insecurities, etc. Thank you for your message. I appreciate your friendship.
Hi Mr. Jim! Thank you so much, I am so happy that you got something from it.
God has been tugging at my heart to do this for a while now. Being vulnerable with my feelings is something I shut myself down from doing for a while now, but thankfully He doesn’t give up on us. Thank you for the encouragement!