Comparisons strangle my joy and my sunlight
Has this ever happened to you? You have a good friend and the entire relationship you compare every aspect of their life. Oh, they make more money then I do, they have a better car, they actually get to take expensive vacations.
I usually a positive person but sometimes my sunlight gets strangled out. Comparing myself to others causes my sun to disappear. When this happens I struggle with why my life is the way it is.
I have spent my life comparing my life to others. In fact just last week, I had a conversation with a loved one and I found myself comparing my life to theirs and the old beast crept in and stole my joy of the conversation.
The comparison is that beast that steals my joy. I’ve struggled with this my entire life. And the beast of comparison gives seeds to bitterness. Bitterness strangles and grows until your whole deposition is bitter. It becomes a dense tree that hides the sunlight. Where nothing can grow. underneath it.
What I realized through this journey is that my life is unique and different. It’s mine. I have been homeschooled. I’ve attended public school. I have a sister with special needs. I beat cancer and work hard for a little money. But this is the life God gave me. It’s mine and some of our struggles are from choices we made and some are not. it’s what God gave me. And I wouldn’t change it.
How do I cope with comparison beast???
First I have to make a conscious choice not to fall prey to the voice in my head that the comparison beast uses. I have to be self-aware enough to notice that I’m being selfish and wrong. This takes work because how often do we want to admit that I’m in the wrong, I can’t admit to other when I am wrong, so admitting myself is about 10x harder.
I have to count my blessings, review my history, most of the time when the comparison beast rears its head, I have to evaluate my life everything from mistakes, blessings and things that were out of my control. It’s basically looking at the road map of my life and looking at these things helps put into perspective how my life is different and how many things were outside of my control.
Finally, the most important thing I do. I pray. I use positive music. My heavenly father’s voice is the only thing that quiets the comparison beasts roars. God’s voices calm the roars, and self-doubt, and the hurt and frustration. I pray for the person whom I am comparing my life too. I give my feelings to God. I pray for help, I pray for my blessings, and I pray for the future. I pray for things that were not in my control that still cause wounds. Praying is the way I can find some peace from the comparison beast, and it usually takes a few days before I can look at the sun again and feel blessed by the warm rays.
How do you handle comparison in your life?
2 Corinthians 10:12-18
We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13 We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. 14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand,16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.17 But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”[b] 18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
TTFN and God Bless and Keep You
Danie with an E reflections 