-Proverbs 4:27
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!
