Free from Comparison

Do you enjoy being the person you are? Or do you compare yourself to others, trying to be someone you were never meant to be? There was a time in my life when I constantly compared myself to other people, and I can tell you that it’s not worth it, my friend!

Years ago, before I ever taught God’s Word in public, I believed He was instructing me to teach a Bible study in my home. Well, one of my pastors at the time disagreed with this idea and told my husband Dave that he should be doing the teaching in our home Bible study, not me. So, Dave tried to teach, and I tried to be quiet—and it didn’t work. It’s amazing how miserable we can make ourselves trying to do what others think we should be doing!

God had called Dave and I to do something that was certainly not the norm in those days, because He wanted to create something unique. We just needed to obey. And guess what? It worked! Forty-five years later, we’re still doing what God called us to do, and many people have come into His kingdom and been helped by His grace and mercy as a result.

We are unique, which means we are not (and never were) meant to be like someone else. God loves infinite variety, and when you take time to look at His creation, that becomes more and more evident. I love watching nature shows because they remind me of His immensity and creativity and how awesome He is.

Just think of all the different kinds of plants and flowers and insects and animals there are on this planet. When I walk down my street, what makes the scenery so beautiful is that everything is not just alike. There are many kinds of trees, bushes, and flowers. Although they’re all different, they complement each other perfectly, making something amazing to see and enjoy. In the same way, we can celebrate our differences rather than wishing we were like someone else.

God loves to remind us that we are His one-of-a-kind masterpieces and that we’re precious to Him, and He’s singing encouragement over us all the time (Zephaniah 3:17). This means we don’t have to feel insecure anymore. Insecurity comes from looking at our flaws, weaknesses, sins, and inabilities without also looking at our strengths and remembering that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Freedom from insecurity comes from looking to Jesus, the “pioneer and perfecter” of our faith, and aiming to be like Him, not other people (Hebrews 12:2).

When we are free from comparing ourselves with other people, life becomes much easier, more peaceful, and more joy filled. This also puts a smile on God’s face because He delights in our individuality and uniqueness.

_{Adapted from the book Authentically, Uniquely You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2021 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.}