Is Comparison Ruining Your Life?

 

 

“Is Comparison Ruining your Life?”

5 min read by Megan Rea

 

 

If you’ve never struggled with comparison, 2 things:

 

1. You are a cyborg.

2. Teach me your ways.

 

For the rest of us, comparison can be a harsh reality in the way we live our lives. And, it’s something I’m all too familiar with (I talked about the biggest lie I battle here).

 

 

As humans, raised by humans (Shameless Elf Quote because it’s the time of year when ALL the Elf quotes come out you cottonheadedninnymuggin) we are bent on comparing ourselves to one another.

 

 

And with the presence of social media, we are never void of opportunities.

 

Just open Instagram to test out this little theory. Does the “Theatre of your Mind” ever sound a little something like this?….

 

 

• “Ooo, I really like her hair.  I really like her hair better than my hair. Conclusion: My hair is dumb…”

• “Ugh, Why can’t I make my living room look like a West Elm catalog??  I think I’m throw-pillow challenged…”

• “Are my arms as good as hers? …I don’t think our arms contain the same kind of muscles…”

• “Does my website look amateur compared to that other blogger with the perfect teeth and happy puppy? …”

• “Why can other people get so much more done in a day than I can?…”

• “Maybe I should take a picture of my lunch? Nope.  My lunch does SO not look like that! #uglyfoodproblems“

The list goes on and on…and on.

 

 

It’s far too simple to walk into a room and immediately start mentally competing with one another, isn’t it? And after that mental competition parties in your brain for a while, it gives birth to 1 of 2 very ugly step-children.

 

 

1. Pride or 2. Insecurity.

 

A comparison session that leaves you feeling haughty; yep, that’s pride just waiting to usher you into a false sense of superiority. It’s typically short-lived and completely environmental.

 

When it comes to insecurity, getting your approval from the slave-master of comparison will always remind you:

 

• -Where you’re failing,

• -Where you could be better,

• -Where you need to try harder,

• -Where you need to be just a little…more.

 

 

Eventually, it’ll beat you down with discouragement and open the door to a state of self-induced paralysis. Happy times. Sounds just like the “life to the full” Jesus came to give us.

Comparison is a thief and it’ll do its best to rob you of the life you were designed to live; stealing your joy and distracting you from the person you are by taunting you about the person you think you’re not.

 

But here’s the Truth: Comparison is a Liar.

 

You can’t compare what you know about yourself to what you don’t know about others.

But in all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point.

2 Cor 10:12 msg

 

 You were made and wired individually.  Not on some cosmic conveyor belt where Heaven cranks out people, but hand-crafted, and knit together.  In Psalms 139, the Hebrew actually breaks down to say that we were “woven together with different colors of thread.” Isn’t that the coolest word picture?  Can’t you just picture God the Father saying, “alright, a little more purple, ooo and maybe some green right…here.”

 

 

I think this is one of the most fun aspects of His job.

 

Let’s not second guess His wiring.  Let’s not undermine the Almighty God by telling Him what He made isn’t enough.

 

You were designed and created to accomplish everything He’s wired you to accomplish! But the beautiful thing is, He still created you human, completely imperfect with a gaping need for Him. We weren’t made to accomplish on our own. We were designed to live life through Christ (Phil 4:13).

 

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life (Gal 6:4-5 msg).

 

 

 

So as you stare today right square in the face, there are 3 things you can do to avoid that little tormentor we call comparison:

 

1. Repeat after me: “The success of someone else does not make me a failure.”

We’re all on our own journey.  And the quicker we can start celebrating each other without being threatened by each other, the better.  Allow yourself to be inspired by others, but not intimidated. You’ll get exactly where God has designed for you to go if you continue walking with Him and choose to stop wishing your circumstances looked different. Let’s keep our eyes on our own journey. He’s got something just. for. you.

 

2. Talk to yo’self.

In Joshua 1:8, God told Joshua to not let the book of the law depart from their mouths. The voice of comparison can be loud and accusatory. So, talk back. Open God’s Word and speak it out loud. Write it on sticky notes. Screenshot Scripture on your phone. Belt out a worship song. And the next time that accusing voice tries to whisper all the nasty lies you’ve only thought were true, let the truth of God’s Word come rolling out of your mouth.  You might feel silly, you might feel false. Keep going. Truth can feel foreign after living in the land of lies, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that it’s true!

 

 

3. Switch your brain into thankfulness mode.

I know when I feel myself start to engage in the downward spiral of comparison, it’s time to change my perspective.  And thankfulness automatically does that. When you conscientiously focus on the blessings in your life, you remind yourself of all the beauty God has put in your world, instead of zeroing in on the few areas where you feel lack. I focused a lot on the power of thankfulness in this post.

 

Our weakness is the perfect spot for His glory to be revealed.  God loves the way He wired you. Let’s not allow comparison, that dirty thief and liar, make our lives feel small.  You were made to thrive. And with the power of God in operation in your life, you are complete.

 

Until next time,

 

Megan

 

 

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