Comparison never ends well.
Either we feel terrible because we feel like we don’t measure up, or we feel pride because we think we’re so much better than someone else.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been tempted to compare yourself to others in so many areas of life:
Physical appearance.
Intelligence.
Ambition.
Accomplishments.
Talents.
Personality.
When I’m comparing, the focus is all on me.
Author Shannon Popkin says that measuring yourself against others isn’t healthy and it isn’t God’s plan. Instead, we can choose Jesus’s me-free way of living: lifting others up and pouring ourselves out. Doesn’t that sound like a more peaceful way to live?
With that in mind, I’d like to invite you to join me in a seven week study of Comparison Girl: Lessons from Jesus on Me-Free Living in a Measure-Up World by Shannon Popkin. We’ll begin on Tuesday, July 6 at 6:30 p.m. Central and end on August 17. We’ll meet together on Zoom. (The link will be posted in my free Facebook group: Catch Your Thoughts with Robyn Mulder or you can message me and I’ll email you the link.)
If you can’t join us for this study, I hope you’ll check out Shannon’s book and go through it by yourself or with a friend.
My ten-day-old grandson, Halston, helped me make a little invitation video with a couple more thoughts about comparison. You can check it out below. (I know I just said we’re not supposed to compare, but I think Halston may just be the cutest baby ever!)
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3–4 NIV)
Are you tempted to compare yourself to others? How can focusing on God help you to do your best and look for ways you can pour yourself out for others instead?
