Theodore Roosevelt was mostly right when he said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Anytime we compare our lives and circumstances to those around us, we’re giving envy a foothold in our hearts and minds. Comparison prevents us from experiencing joy and prohibits us from living peace-filled lives. Over the past several weeks we’ve discussed numerous ways to live in such a way that peace dominates our days. To catch up on previous posts, visit the links at the bottom of this page. Today we will wrap up our peace-filled series by exploring how peace is impossible when comparison dominates our thinking.
Your Journey is Uniquely Yours
God has placed a unique calling on your life. Scripture reminds us that each person is given specific gifts and talents to be used to build His kingdom. How boring would life be if we all had the same interests and skills?
Not only has God given you specific abilities, but He’s also charted a plan on how He would like you to use them. The plan He created for you before time began will look different than the plans He ordained for others. Your life shouldn’t look identical to those around you, because God’s plan for you is uniquely yours and tailor-made just for you. When you begin comparing your talents, circumstances, and experiences to others, jealousy and resentment build within you. When jealousy increases joy and peace decrease.
What has God called you to? Your journey might be more winding with many pit stops and with different challenges than those around you. However, if you stop and compare your experience to another’s, you’re robbing yourself of peace. Peace comes when you obey God one step at a time on the road He has laid out for YOU.
You Can’t Do It All
Another way comparison steals your peace is by convincing you that you can do it all. You have likely heard the idea that social media is only a highlight reel, showing off the best moments of one’s life. Maybe you’ve fallen prey to thinking your online friends have their lives perfectly pieced together: expensive family vacations, impeccably decorated homes, and well-mannered children at all times. Remember, real life is not what you see on social media. Just because it looks like she is “doing it all” does not mean you have to. In fact, you shouldn’t!
As a busy mom of two, it’s easy to compare my life to all the amazing moms around me. We are all doing our best to meet the needs and expectations of our families, yet sometimes I feel guilty when I see other moms who can squeeze more into their lives and schedules than I do. I end up anxious and worried that I’m not doing enough. God continues to remind me the He made me in His image and knew exactly what my limitations would be. God uses my limitations to remind me to trust and depend on Him alone. When I fully rely on God, comparison melts away and is replaced with joy and peace.
When I allow comparison to dictate my commitments, I’m not leaving margin for the main priorities in my own life making peace-filled days impossible (see previous post for more details).
Conclusion
Don’t waste another minute comparing yourself to anyone else. God made you in His image with a unique calling and specific talents that He planned just for you. Your strengths and weaknesses are no surprise to God, and He will use both to refine you if you stay focused on Him. Don’t let comparison derail you and steal your peace. Instead keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the Prince of Peace.
Thank you for joining me in this series on how to cultivate a peace-filled life. Catch up on all the previous posts linked below. I’d greatly appreciate hearing from you and how God may have used this series in your life, feel free to comment on any of the individual blog posts, or send me a message on IG or FB or via email. I thank God for you and pray He continues to build in you a life abounding in joy and peace. -Kim