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Tag Archives: Stop Comparing

The Best Way to Avoid the Comparison Trap

10 / 26 / 2010 / 26 / 20
It's easy to fall into the comparison trap focusing on what's lacking in our lives while envying what seems perfect in someone else's. These tips will help... #ComparisonTrap #Envy #JoyStealer #socialmedia #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG

I don’t know about you but I have days when my less than ideal attitude can cause me to fall into the comparison trap. I start focusing on what’s wrong in me and around me and before I know it I’m measuring my life against an impossible “ideal.”

I know that’s not God’s plan for me. I know He wants better for me. I know He wants me to focus on the truth . . . what He says about me.

If you can relate to my struggle, I want you to know that God wants that for you too! He wants us to focus on the words of David…

I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. You have approached even the smallest details with excellence; Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul.

Psalm 139:14 (VOICE)

God made each of us as unique and wonderful parts of His creation made for His plans and purposes to live for His glory.

With that in mind, maybe God wants me (and you too) to think less about who I am and more about whose I am!

We belong to God. We are unique, one of kind, wonderfully complex created for this time and place for a reason.

I was not designed for your life and you were not designed for mine.

I don’t believe God wants us to sit around dwelling on our flaws and faults. He wants us to confess them to Him and repent. He wants us to surrender our lives to Him in faith and invite Him to work in us and through us for His glory.

If you struggle too. If, like me, you need a regular reminder . . . remember you are not alone. He has given us someone to help. We have the Holy Spirit.

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

John 14:26 (AMP)

Think about that . . . you and I have the Spirit of the God of the universe with us to teach us and remind us of God’s TRUTH.

Are you ready to quit pushing the Spirit’s voice to the background while you waste time listening to the enemy’s lies that defeat and discourage you? Me too!

It’s time for us to consistently listen to the TRUTH. So, I’m making a list of God’s promises to help us.

Personal promises to help us remember who we are in Christ Jesus and help us avoid the comparison trap.

The Best Way to Avoid the Comparison Trap

It's easy to fall into the comparison trap focusing on what's lacking in our lives while envying what seems perfect in someone else's. These tips will help... #ComparisonTrap #Envy #JoyStealer #socialmedia #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG

Avoid the Comparison Trap – Remember Who You are in Jesus!

♥ You are Known – God Thinks about You

How precious are Your thoughts about ________, O God. They cannot be numbered!

Psalm 139:17

♥ You are Loved

I am writing to ________, who has been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.

Jude 1:1

♥ You are a Child of God

But to _________, who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become a child of God. You are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

John 1:12-13

♥ You are a Friend of Jesus

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command … Now ________ is my friend, since I have told you everything the Father told me.

John 15:13–15

♥ You are a New Creation

If _________ belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new!

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NCV)

Because Christ Lives in You

__________ has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

♥ You are Chosen and Holy

Even before He made the world, God loved ________ and chose _________ in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.

Ephesians 1:4

♥ You are Chosen and Loved

God loves _________ and has chosen you to be His own… 1 Thessalonians 1:4

1 Thessalonians 1:4

♥ You are Dead to Sin and Alive in Christ

When He died, He died once to break the power of sin. But now that He lives, He lives for the glory of God. So ________ also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:10–11

♥ You are a Citizen of Heaven

________ is a citizen of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under His control.

Philippians 3:20–21

♥ You are God’s Masterpiece

For ________ is God’s masterpiece. He has created ________ anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10

♥ You have God’s Peace to Guard Your Heart and Mind

Then ________ will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

♥ You have Strength for Life

________ can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

♥ You are Victorious

Can anything ever separate ________ from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ________ through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:35, 37

Romans 8:35, 37

♥ You are Forever Safe in God’s Love

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate ________ from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither ________ fears for today nor _______ worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate ________ from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate _________ from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38–39

You know it’s kind of funny…

When you and I focus on ourselves, on our faults and failures, we get lost in the negatives and we spend precious time caught in a cycle of discouragement and disappointment. But when we take those disheartening comparison trap thoughts captive and surrender them to the Holy Spirit . . . He reminds us of the important truths of God’s promises.

Promises that remind us of who we are in Jesus.

And that truth gives us everything we need to face whatever God allows.

Remember these words today…

It's easy to fall into the comparison trap focusing on what's lacking in our lives while envying what seems perfect in someone else's. These tips will help... #ComparisonTrap #Envy #JoyStealer #socialmedia #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG

Read that again and again until it is firmly planted in your heart and mind.

I know I need to keep it close at hand. With the Spirit’s help, I will remember the truth that—it is well with my soul. And it’s well with my heart and mind, too!

May God bless unique and wonderful you today and always!

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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How to Stop Comparing, Embrace Humility, and Love

5 / 6 / 167 / 7 / 16

Why would you want to compare yourself with anyone else? It's like comparing DNA or fingerprints. You are one of a kind. Stop Comparing.

Monday I asked you to rate yourself from 1 to 10 on the humility scale.

Proud  1    2    3    4    5    6    7     8    9    10  Humble

I’ve spent hours since thinking about numbers and how we rate ourselves.

The number on the scale.
The number of degrees, awards, or trophies.
The number of friends and followers on social media.
The number of page views on our blogs.

Or use the word size – just another word for number.

The size on our clothing.
The size of our home.
The size of our cars.
The size of our bank accounts.

We love to rate, rank, and compare don’t we?

But there’s a problem. It’s hard to be genuinely humble when we’re comparing ourselves to each other. Humiliated sometimes, but humble . . . not so much.

Because when we’re comparing we’re either better or worse than. We’re either puffed up or deflated. Feeling great or well, you get the idea.

True humility doesn’t compare. True humility loves.

God is not nicer to princes than other people, nor kinder to rich people than poor people, because he made them all with his own hands. Job 34:19

But if you treat one person as being more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God’s law. James 2:9

God’s will for us is always counter-cultural isn’t it?

The world says make friends in high places. God says, Have the same concern for everyone. Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Do not think of yourselves as wise. Romans 12:16

We will never have the kind of humility God wants for us as long as we’re comparing ourselves to  each other. Because comparison will always get in the way of love.

Imagine what could happen if we decided to stop. If we each decided to do our personal best and love like Jesus.

I love The Message translation of Galatians 6:4–5

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

Sink yourself into the work you’ve been given to do. Take responsibility. Do your best. AND don’t be impressed with yourself.

That’s pretty direct isn’t it?

Add verses 7–8

Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

God isn’t comparing you to anyone else and we all fall short of His perfection.

It’s really not as complicated as we make it.

Do your best to live out God’s personal plans and purposes for you. 

You have a God-given assignment.

Why would you want to compare yourself with anyone else. It’s like comparing DNA or fingerprints. You are one of a kind. God’s plans for you are special and specific. And that’s true for every person who has ever walked this planet.

Why would you want to compare yourself with anyone else? It's like comparing DNA or fingerprints. You are one of a kind. Stop Comparing.

Quotes to Think About:

“We will never find our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself!” ~Henri Nouwen

“Don’t compare the inside of you to the outside of anyone else.” ~Anonymous

“I’m not equipped to handle what she has, both good and bad and what she has is always a package deal of both. In other words, I’ve been assigned a load I can handle.” ~Lysa TerKeurst

“Comparison is the death of joy.” ~Mark Twain

“Peter must have thought, “Who am I compared to Mr. Faithfulness (John)?” But Jesus clarified the issue. John was responsible for John. Peter was responsible for Peter. And each had only one command to heed: “Follow Me.” (John 21:20-22)” ~ Charles R. Swindoll

Now, I have a question for you…

What will you do to stop comparing and start being uniquely you?

10 Ways to Stop Comparing

  1. Celebrate every small success and thank God.
  2. Be thankful for and use your God-given gifts and abilities.
  3. Do your best.
  4. Remember . . . everyone has problems and pain.
  5. Determine you want to love others well – without comparison or judgment.
  6. Forgive quickly – yourself and others.
  7. Pray – Ask God help you live His plans. Ask Him to affirm and encourage you.
  8. Replace negative thoughts with the truth of God’s love.
  9. Refuse to dwell on things you can’t change or control.
  10. Memorize Jeremiah 29:11 – I know what I am planning for you,” says theLord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.

Back to numbers. 

One thing I’m doing to stop comparing is I’m taking a numbers fast. I’m going to avoid focusing on statistics and followers . . . and spend my time doing my best to honor God with my writing and asking Him to use it as He wills.

Maybe you’re not big on blog and social media comparing, but wherever you’re tempted to envy or judge consider taking a break and see how much freedom and joy will replace your negative thoughts.

Now it’s time for…

Faith ‘n Friends Blog Hop

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Feature Post

I’m excited to share two posts with you this week.

4 Steps Toward Conquering Comparisons

by Kristine Brown
Guest Post
@ Dr. Michelle Bengston

Ask-Dr-B-4-Steps-Toward-Conquering-Comparison-300x167

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and for joining the Blog Hop!

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