the comparison game

comparison. relativism. call it what you want, but we all do it and it's bondage.

sometimes i think girls are the worst. maybe because i am a girl? however, i don't know a single girl person who doesn't compare themself to others in some way. weight, hair color/texture, clothes, money, car, job, relationship status, kids behaving/not behaving, how smart their kids/dogs are, where to go on family vacations, whether they make organic gourmet meals for their family or not, shopping location, what developmental stage their kid is at, i think you get the point. social media doesn't help. it's thrown in our faces what other people are doing and what we're not doing to measure up.

this can go either way. comparing yourself so much you feel like junk or comparing yourself so much that you build up this image of yourself as something wonderful. the end result is the same. we're not believing Truth. we're believing what we've come up with as truth and then we make decisions, are in a certain mood, or treat our spouses and kids a particular way as a result. all because of some silly lie that you aren't good enough or you're God's gift to the modern family.

so, instead of telling you more about what i think, here's what the Bible (i.e. Truth) says.

"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken". Matthew 12:36

"So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God". Romans 14:12

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account". Hebrews 4:13

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart". 1 Samuel 16:7

that's why the Word of God is so powerful and important in our everyday lives. the Bible "is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart". Hebrews 4:12. the Word of God reminds us who we really are. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God". 2 Corinthians 5:21. The Bible teaches us true freedom. "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus". Romans 8:1. The Word of God defines our real worth. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness". Jeremiah 31:3. and the Bible provides hope. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness". Lamentations 3:22-23.

several weeks ago, i was having a hard day with ethan. he hadn't slept well the night before, causing us both to be worn out during the day. i felt like i was beating against a wall, not knowing what to do. i sat down and decided to read Isaiah 40. i knew there was encouragement in that chapter with some familiar verses at the end, but i started at the beginning. just a few verses in, i read "He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; he gently leads those that have young". Isaiah 40:11. i instantly teared up at the preciousness of these verses and the perfect applicability to my particular situation. God knows us. He knows our hearts and it is to Him we give account. not to the bazillions of people around us. we play to an audience of One.