We all do it.
We look for the brightest and prettiest….set them up nicely…maybe we even create a tableau to admire.
We don’t stop there. We place “ours” alongside.
And then we do it.
We compare.
Comparison.
It can be our appearance, our house, our blog, our kids, our art…you name it.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
How quickly we spiral downhill. It can almost be a free fall.
I found myself there today. It’s a ploy of the enemy. And I fell for it.
I knew better. I knew what to do. But, I didn’t.
What do you do when you find yourself in such a predicament?
The best thing I know to do is to take my eyes OFF myself. Easy to say, hard to do.
Praising God, encouraging others, both are good places to start.
Bible verses can be helpful as well.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, …
It is good to announce your mercy in the morning
and your faithfulness in the evening Psalm 92:1-2
The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14
Both of these passages help me to get my mindset in a better place. Certainly far away from that tableau of comparison.
Intentionally striving to live in grace and gratitude should be the goal. And to share those two g’s with others.
Hopefully then, we won’t succumb to the “thief” of comparison.
What is your biggest comparison struggle?
Grateful for Grace,
Diane
Sharing with… A Rural Journal
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My favorite bible verse for helping with this struggle (I think we all have it at various times.) is Hebrews 13:5 (I admit to having to look it up online as I only knew the “be content with such things as ye have” part which was enough for me but I do love the rest of it now that the Internet has helped jog my memory ;). “Let your conversations be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Yes Jean contentment! That is a great verse. I’ve often thought that if the Apostle Paul could be content in all his crazy circumstances…what’s my issue?! :-/
I learned a very hard lesson about comparing my outsides–but I own that I still do on occasion. Mostly those are the times when I’m in the company of strangers. Sadly true.
I make it a point to compare some of my insides pieces to the insides of others that I respect hugely.
I want some of those inside jobs that they have–and I keep working to get ’em!! Sooner or later…LOL I have hope!
And when I get in one of those ‘funks’…..it’s a simple, gentle reminder about being one of G-d’s kiddo. That generally does it for me!
Ouch! The good thing is that those hard lessons usually do stick with us.
And it is what’s on the inside that *really* counts..just gotta remember that. 😀
Comparison IS a thief and it can really shake us! When it happens to me, I remember my true identity as a daughter of God and all is well again. He loves me for who I am and not what is surrounding me. Thanks for posting your thoughts and photos…I am a new follower too! Blessings!
Yes! Knowing Whose we are makes all the difference. 😀
And welcome, Nancy!!!
Those leaves are gorgeous!
Thanks for sharing with YSB this week.
xo
Yolanda
Thanks Yolanda! I’m so pleased that I was there at the right time. Lighting is everything.
Wishing you an extraordinary weekend!
I agree with Pres. Roosevelt — it serves no purpose to compare this to that. Focus on the this —
A wise man….who had his life in the proper perspective. Have you heard how he would go outside at night, look up at the stars and say, I now feel significantly small? (My loose translation.) That says it all to me. That makes a great statesman.