The Dangers of Comparison: Day 2

“Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

-Proverbs 4:27

Each day this week we are looking at the dangers of comparison.  Our key verse, Proverbs 4:27, tells us not to look to the right or the left and to keep our feet from evil.  If we stay focused on Jesus, keeping our eyes on Him at all times in every situation, we will stay on the path of abundant life that He has in store for us.  

Day 2: Comparison leads to discontentment.

Comparison doesn’t have to just be with other people.  We can compare seasons within our lives and head down the path to discontentment.  The Israelites did this after Moses led them out of Egypt.  Remember, they were led out of captivity into the wilderness and God provided them with manna from Heaven.  They were freed from oppressive captivity, yet they compared this current season to the last and found themselves in discontentment saying, “If only we had meat to eat.  We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic.  But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”  God had delivered them, provided for them, and answered their prayers, yet they missed it.  By focusing on what they once had, they totally lost sight of what God was doing for them in the here and now.

Have you ever lost sight of your present blessings by comparing your life to what it used to be like?  One Sunday afternoon as my family and I were driving we passed a beautiful woman with a very fit body jogging down the side of the road.  My husband and I both noticed her and simultaneously looked at each other and said, “She must not have kids.”  With a tinge of jealousy in my heart I asked him if he was saying that because she had a nice looking body.  He shook his head and said, “No, I said it because she is running by herself on a Sunday afternoon.”  I am not proud to admit this, but I found myself heading down that path of envy and discontentment.  I recalled when my body was my own, and I even remembered how nice it was when I could just decide on a sunny, Sunday afternoon to take a jog.  But my current season didn’t allow that.  I couldn’t even go to the bathroom alone without toddlers banging on the door, let alone run alone.  Suddenly I was shaken back to reality, and I turned around to see my precious toddlers both asleep in their car seats.  I had to stop right there and ask the Lord’s forgiveness. Though this season is exhausting and carries its own highs and lows, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  I am so thankful that God answered my prayers and gave me two precious babies.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for all the blessings you have given me in this present season of my life.  I want to live in the present, not missing anything that you are doing right now.  I know that every season carries its own trials and joys, but I am going to shift my gaze to your presence in my present.  Please help me to stay focused on the here and now, thanking you always for all that you are doing.  Thank you, Father! 

 

The Dangers of Comparison: Day 1

Hi Ladies! I am so excited to share something with you today.  I have heard the Lord speaking to me lately about comparison, so I set out to write a short blurb for my blog touching on comparison.  Once I got started, He just kept giving me more.  Well, my short little blurb turned into a monster of an article.  So here's what I am going to do...each day this week I will discuss one of the dangers of comparison.  God has opened my eyes and heart to how comparison can put a road block in the way of the abundant life He has for us, and I can't wait to share all that He has been teaching me.  So let's get started.

“Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

-Proverbs 4:27

Do not turn to the right or the left, but stay on the path God has for you.  Let’s break this verse down a bit.  To stay on the path that God has for us, to keep our feet from evil, we have to keep our gaze fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.  When we look to the right or the left, often times we find ourselves comparing ourselves, our walk, or our lot to those around us.  Comparison is a dangerous thing and can lead us down a path far away from the abundant living God has for us.  Actually, comparison is not just dangerous, but deadly.  It has the potential to kill our joy, gratitude and confidence.  Join me each day as we take a closer look at each danger associated with making comparisons.

Day 1: Comparison leads to envy

Comparison, looking at what others have and comparing it to what we have, can lead to envy, and the Bible tells us that where you have envy and selfish ambition you will find disorder and every kind of evil practice.  (James 3:16) This tells us that envy leads you down a slippery slope into even more actions and thoughts that are displeasing to God. Envy can lead to greed and leave you always wanting more.  It can also lead to discontentment, ingratitude, insecurity, and pride.

Go with me here for a minute.  It is easy to say in our heads that we won’t envy, but how hard is it really to discipline ourselves not to go there?  It just takes a look.  One look.  One look to the right or left and our minds can begin the downward spiral with thoughts like, “Ooh, I love her purse. I wish I could afford a designer handbag but all of my money goes to feeding my children.” Or, “Look how straight and shiny her hair is.  I hate my frizzy, curly mop. It’s so hard to tame.”    How that must insult God when we criticize his creation; He did his best work on us.

Just the other night in church I found myself surrounded by people who had beautiful singing voices.  I was not gifted in this area so I lowered my voice, and as I looked around my worship began to seem inadequate in my eyes.  I even envied the beautiful voices I heard rising up above my own.  I struggled to regain focus and an image flashed across my mind.  The image was of the heavens opening up and God’s people ushering in the bridegroom, Jesus, with their worship.  In this picture, I saw myself amidst the crowd of worshipers.  Everyone had their hands raised high in worship and they were singing their hearts out.  Then there was me, just standing there looking around.  The Holy Spirit spoke to me in that moment and I realized what I was doing.  The Spirit nudged me to look at the image further and I decided that when Jesus returns I want to be singing His praises and giving Him all the glory.  I don’t want to be the one in the middle of the crowd looking at what everyone else is doing.  Jesus deserves to have my attention, and I am going to do all that I can to give it to Him.

The possibilities are endless in terms of what we can envy.  We can envy the stress-free life of our neighbor, the way they look, or even their closeness to God.  But if we keep our eyes on Jesus, he will show us the love and blessings He has lavished on us that should never leave us needing more. 

Lord my God, forgive me for envying those around me.  You deserve all that I have: my attention, my worship, my praise. But I can't give you all that I have if I am distracted by my comparisons.  Help me to keep my eyes on you and what you are doing in my life.  I know that you are good and your plans for my life are good.  I want to be able to reach out to those around me and encourage them without envying them, but I can't do this without you, Lord.  I need the help of your Holy Spirit.  Thank you for your help, and thank you for all you are doing in my life.  I love you.  Amen. 

Let There Be Light

“For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

-2 Corinthians 4:6

This morning my husband got up with our girls so that I could take a sunrise walk.  Sunrise is my favorite time of the day to take a walk.  It is so cool to see light breakthrough and flood the earth that was filled with darkness just minutes before.  And it’s not a sudden thing.  The sun slowly inches up into the sky and little by little the shadows disappear.  As we approach spring time we are getting more light and less darkness.  I love this about spring time.  As we get more light, new life and growth spring up from the ground.  I took this picture on my walk this morning.  The sun began shining on the land, drowning out the darkness little by little, and the fields seemed to be crying out for cultivation, nourishment and growth.

God, who called sunlight into the darkness, calls light to flood into our hearts as well.  As more light shines into our hearts, new growth springs up.  Our hearts are crying out for cultivation, ready to be prepared for use.  They thirst for light and nourishment.  I read a devotional this morning that made the connection between spring time and the lent season.  It was written by fellow Faith Writer Karen Pourbabaee, and she pointed out that Lent, just like spring time, is a time for new growth as we focus our attention more on God through fasting and moderation.  I just can’t get over this connection.  It is no coincidence that these two seasons coincide; it is the Sovereign will of God.  As we turn our focus to God, allowing His light to drown out the darkness in our hearts, cultivation begins, new seeds are planted, life springs up, and we see the glory of God! 

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for sunlight and for the increasing sunshine that is headed our way.  Father, thank you also for shining light into my heart.  I pray that your light would illuminate even the darkest parts of my heart where shadows are currently being cast.  Lord, my desire is that your light would completely flood my heart so that new life springs up.  When harvest time rolls around I pray that the end result would be a heart that reflects the heart of Jesus.  Thank you for the work you are doing in my heart.  May you be glorified through this new life, God.  I love you! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

I Have Not Arrived

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”

-Philippians 3:13

In The Voice translation of this verse it is said like this, “I know I have not arrived.”  I wonder how many of you are like me and just want to get there already.   We just want to arrive at our destination, but that destination means life on earth is over.  We are always going to be a work in progress, never truly arriving until we arrive at Home with the Lord.  Many times when God corrects me on something or teaches me a lesson I thought I already learned, I am frustrated and caught off guard by my need to relearn it.  I get so frustrated with myself thinking I should have arrived there already.   

Recently God has been teaching me some lessons that I thought I already knew.  The truth is that I had the knowledge in my head, but I hadn’t learned it in my heart yet.  When I stopped to think about this, I had to stop and thank God for working this way in my life.  Can you imagine how hard and overwhelming it would be if we learned all the lessons at once?  We wouldn’t survive.  God, in His grace and mercy, gives us these lessons little by little, knowing exactly what we need and when.  In reflecting on my testimony and my spiritual growth, I am overwhelmed by how God tenderly gave me these lessons to learn in my heart a little at a time.  In each season, with each step, he gave me the discipline I needed to prepare me for my next steps.  With each step, I had what I needed to strain toward what lies ahead.  

If you can relate today, I hope that I can encourage you.  May you be encouraged in knowing that we are all works in progress.  None of us has arrived, but we can forget the past and strain toward what lies ahead, knowing each new lesson is a stepping stone into our future.

 

Father, thank you for being such a patient and merciful God.  I am so thankful that you do not expect me to be perfect, but you are patiently transforming me into your likeness day by day.  Father, help me to be patient with myself.  And help me to see the lessons you are teaching me today, in this moment.  I pray that as I forget the former things, I can use your lessons as stepping stones into all you have for me in the days to come.  Thank you, again, for walking with me each step of the way.  I love you, Lord.  Amen.