From the desk of Grace Lange,
The grass isn’t always greener…
Comparison is the thief of joy…
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken…
We hear it over and over again to not compare ourselves to those around us and to be happy where we are.
Yet, we still envy what others have and struggle to be grateful for our own lives.
We feel like we need to keep up with the world around us.
These thoughts have become second nature to many of us.
The other day, I was sitting on my phone scrolling through Instagram and came across a few photos of some people I barely know getting married.
Where some people might see this as such a beautiful picture, it struck me as somewhere that I am not doing enough…
It made me feel as though I should be in that stage of my life, and I should be ready for that.
The same thing happens when I see people traveling or accomplishing things that I wish I could accomplish.
There are different specific things that hurt me more than others, but I recently asked myself, “Why do I allow myself to look at the things that make me jealous or uneasy?”
That’s the thing about social media, though…
It has made us addicted to seeing the things that hurt us, and we just keep scrolling.
Even though I knew nothing about that person’s life, I continued to compare where I am to them… to their highlight reels..
It wasn’t until recently when I was reminded by one of my great friends of the bible verse that has changed my life.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11
This verse tells us that God has a plan for us and he will help us to prosper and have hope.
When we compare our lives to those around us, we are basically telling God that the plan he has for our lives isn’t good, and that we don’t trust the plan he has for us.
One of the best ways to overcome comparison is to remember that if God wanted you to have what that other person has or accomplish what they have accomplished, he would have done that for you…
God will only give you what he knows you can handle and what you need.
There is a reason you don’t have what they have or aren’t doing what they are doing.
When I sit and think about life in this sense, it gives me so much peace in knowing that God has something even better planned for my life, and I shouldn’t be worried about not being married or traveling right now!
No matter where you are in your life, I challenge you to trust that God has such a beautiful plan for you, and a plan that is even better for you than what you think you want…
And I want you to find so much joy and peace in that.
Part of knowing and remembering this is finding a community that helps bring you back to the truth, and you may find that community at our event Breakfast & Bibles on July 29th!
Grab your ticket now!