Comparison

My love works with a missions organization that serves on college campuses. Now that we are joining lives, I will also be a part of this ministry. Which is great, because college age students happen to be one of my favorites to work with, in life and in ministry.

Tuesday night, we were at a weekly ministry event on one of his campuses. Instead of their ministry team leading the talk, they had guests from the ministry at another campus come speak.

I loved it. The couple was very sweet and obviously passionate about Kingdom things, and their work with college students. I felt as if I could see myself even more as a part of this world of my love’s, just like this couple served together.

But, as the wife got up and started speaking, I internally began to compare myself to her even more; lamenting things my beloved would miss out on because I was not like this woman (not even thinking of the things he will enjoy exactly because I am not her).

Immediately, I felt convicted. The Lord was at work in my spirit, and flooded me with a message combating my comparison.

I didn’t know I would share it on this blog, but I happened to have this draft from October sitting in my dashboard. Only the picture was placed, no words yet. God moved in my heart again tonight, to share the message with whoever would read it, because I know I am not the only one plagued by the spirit of comparison that eats at me.

What was pressed on my heart as this fellow Daughter of the King spoke was:

Don’t compare your journey with anyone else’s. “Living worthy” looks different for you than it does for someone else. Your worth & value are not relative to anyone else’s; they are based on the truth of God’s Word: You are created by God for a purpose. Comparison will be the biggest food for the monster of depression in your life, if you don’t keep it at bay. Your life is valuable because it is given by God, redeemed by Christ, & led by the Holy Spirit. You are a child of Abba. Your journey is your own, your call your own call.

When we allow ourselves to entertain these comparisons, we inevitably fall short of what we “should”/”could” be. This has the potential to keep us from our call and destroy our relationships.

When Paul writes Ephesians, he reminds those who listen to (at that time) or read (in today’s world) his words that they are: God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works which were established ahead of time (Eph 2:10, paraphrased). Before we were aware, we were created for a purpose. Mine is not yours, yours is not mine.

However, all of those purposes are connected in BIG ways:

• Created by God
• Redeemed by Christ
• Sharing the Gospel in whatever capacity and place God has you

It is my genuine prayer that we would stop allowing comparison to be a thief of our joy & peace, and begin to live our lives true to who God created us to be, finding our unique places in the body for the mission of furthering God’s Kingdom and bringing His name glory.