When I first heard this quote I thought to myself, “Wow, that is so true!” Since we all desire to feel accepted by others we tend to present our best selves on social media, in person, or meeting new people. Because of this it is easy to see the strengths of those around us and compare ourselves. We can start to feel that we don’t measure up or are lacking in some way!
In comparing ourselves to others we usually find ourselves at one side of the spectrum. Either we compare our weaknesses to the strengths of others and put ourselves down or we compare our strengths to others weaknesses and build ourselves up. Both of these approaches are toxic because they lead us to have an unhealthy increase of Pride or depression. In our quest to discover who we are we ought to avoid doing this in order to allow God to utilize us in His kingdom!
Why do we do this? Because it is a human tendency. Satan wants us to be blinded of our gifts and our potential. He wants us to feel discouraged because we can’t ever be “good enough” or have a life as good as that person! What is hard about this is that we are each so different and unique from one another that there is no reason we should compare ourselves. If we decide to look beyond this superficial and temporal perspective, we can see who we are in Gods eyes and our own potential as Sons and daughters of God.
If comparison is the “thief” of joy, then what is the “provider” of joy? It would be learning to appreciate our differences! The person across the room may be a talented singer, the person standing next to you may be a wonderful leader, another person may be a compassionate empathizer...and God can use each of these strengths to bless many of His children. We each are treasure chests of talents and untapped potential. Consider your strengths and how you have been able to bless the lives of those around you with them!
So what if we are lacking in an area! We are given the opportunity in this life to develop gifts! If we have the right intentions and desire to bless those around us, God will be there every step of the way helping us grow in our talents:) Instead of comparing we can learn to appreciate our differences and see gifts that others have that we can cultivate more within ourselves! We will begin to see our differences less as reflections of what we are not and more as beautiful opportunities we each have to bless each other.
Challenge: Ask a close friend or family member what gifts they think that you have. Then consider a gift/talent you want to work to develop this week!
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