Hi how are you all today? I am well. I went to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on Friday night and it was amazing. The music was great but the choreography was stunning. It was a great show. How was your week?
In this year of consistency, I want to reflect on comparison. We were singing a song in church this morning and one phrase in that song was God has no rival and no equal which is so true. But the Holy Spirit whispered to me that every one of us humans have no rival or equal either.
God created us individually. None of us look the same, sound the same or even are the same. How God has created us is with individual looks, voices, fingerprints and hair. We are masterpieces.
Just let that sink in for a minute.
Therefore comparison should never play a part in our lives because each masterpiece is in itself amazing.
In my life rejection has caused a lot of comparison tendencies. I either come up short or am better than. But that way of thinking and then acting or saying doesn’t really help anyone. All of us have different callings that God has placed on our life.
I may want to be a musician but it will never satisfy me if I am called to be a writer. Only writing will satisfy the longings in my heart.
In Galatians 6:4-5 in the Message Bible, it states:
4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
These verses are reminding us to find our calling in God and then stick with it and be consistent. It also warns us not to compare ourselves or even be impressed with ourselves. It ends with we are responsible for our own lives.
Let’s touch on that last statement and reflect on it. When we stand before God sometime in the future, we will give account for our lives. Have we done what God told us to do or were we too busy comparing or impressing? These excuses are not going to stand before an awesome and holy God.
Romans 12:4-6 in the Message Bible is another scripture that warns us against comparison. It states:
4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.
The last part of those verses state that we should be who God made us to be. This includes our personalities, our likes, our dislikes, our gifting and talents and all the things that make us, us. If we change ourselves or compare ourselves, we are robbing the world of who God made us to be.
A word of warning- don’t be someone you aren’t. For one thing it is tiring and a struggle. Another thing is that people know. Do yourself a favour, just stop. I did this for many years and made myself miserable in the process. I am happier now than I was years ago because I stopped the comparison.
Let’s look at who God created you to be:
- Loved and Chosen
- Masterpiece & Purposeful
- Forgiven & Redeemed
- Child of God
- Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
- Secure & Empowered
So if you find yourself comparing this week, remind yourself of the above list as it is some of what God says about you.
Bless you and keep living the life God intended.
Karen
0 Comments