Comparisons…Don’t Count on Them
My Nana used to say, “It’s like apples to oranges”. Sure, I might prefer one over the other … but I can’t compare them.
Kelli leads us to scripture showing why we don’t need to compare ourselves to others.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Psalms 139:14
Apples and oranges…Why couldn’t I compare them? Because they aren’t the same. They were created differently. It would be like walking through a museum and saying, “that statue is so much better than that painting.” Or sitting on the front porch at a farm and declaring that the pig in front of me makes a horrible duck.
There are some things we just can’t compare. YOU are one of those things. God took an amazing amount of time and creative measures to create YOU just like He wants and He wants each of us to be like no one else. So, why would we dare compare ourselves?
1. Keep your eyes on The One who made you. The days will come when we think we have no worth, believe we are not as good as someone else or wonder what we have to offer. When we hear those whispers in our heart and they begin settling into our souls we must move fast. Move our eyes and heart quickly to Jesus. Dig deep into His Word and what He says about us. In Genesis, He declares “It is very good” after He created us. Psalm 139 reminds us we are His masterpieces. I Corinthians 12 shows us that Jesus NEEDS His people to be different. Think about God. Take time to look at what He has created: sunsets, nature, life. You cannot deny He has a special talent of making amazing things … including you.
2. Keep your eyes off yourself. When you are thinking of others, you cannot think of yourself. Note that it says “thinking of others” not “comparing yourself to others”. When I find myself sizing my gifts, my life, my season to someone else, I realize I am really just thinking about me. One simple switch in my view changes my mindset greatly. Who can I do something kind for? Who needs a listening ear? Who can I help out? Who can I pray for today? All of the sudden I realize I am using the very way the Lord made me to help others. Win/Win for all and God gets the glory all around.
God is crazy about you and me. He took great JOY in creating us just like He planned. We should take great JOY in being who He made us to be.
Camper Corner
Read the verse at the top of this devotional. It has a couple of things for us to do …
*Praise Him. Take a moment to thank God for how He created you. Thank Him for your life. Be specific, what do you love that He gave you, what is your favorite thing about yourself, what do you love to do with the life He gave you?
*Know it full well. Right now, where you are, look around. Name the first ten things you see showing God’s wonderful works. Do that often … and don’t forget to put yourself in that category. He has made you wonderfully.
