Comparison

We often compare our life to the highlight reels of others’ lives.  When I was younger it was television and magazines in addition to our circle of friends or classmates.  Now social media has us comparing to just about everyone with instant and constant access.    Everyone has struggles, battles they fight, and a process the walk through.  Even when things look easy, it is just a stage scene.  The real work happened before the act.  The reality is, even if their life really is “all that” we don’t know what it took for them to get there or the cost for them to stay there.

I like to think I don’t compare myself, but the reality is I do.  I look at other people’s’ gifting and ministry.  I compare where I am at – exalting myself or making myself feel inferior.  It is still comparison.  It is the thing that keeps me frozen at times.

I know in my heart that their gifts are different from mine.  I know that even those with similar gifts have a different purpose than mine.  I know in my heart our journeys are different.  I know that even if they are similar, we are all at different distances along the path to our God-given destiny.  The reality is regardless of what I see on the outside, I haven’t seen all that God brought them through to get to where they are now or even the work that He is doing in their lives, even as I sit there making comparison.

Someone once said “Comparison kills our motivation when we think ourself superior.  Comparison kills our destiny when we think ourself inferior.”  We can only compare where we are today to where we were yesterday, and strive to keep moving forward despite how slow it seems or how much farther along we feel we should be.