Comparison, it can become a bondage to you, as it has to me!
It consumes me, it suffocates me every day as I measure myself against others. I measure myself against what type of home they have, what kind of Mom they are, how well they school their children, how well they decorate, whether they talk too much, or not enough, how they dress, how relaxed they are in a group of people,... I WEAR MYSELF out! It has become a bondage beyond any other area of struggle in my life. This act of comparing has sent me into depression over what others think of me many different times, and more often than not, made me feel like I am not enough! It has given me false expectations of what my life should look like, how my children should behave, how my husband should perform in public, what my home should look like and how I should express myself to others. Are you tired yet? I imagine you are. I am exhausted! I am tired of carrying this burden. God has identified this bondage to me over time through different avenues, but just recently through the harsh fire of bible study He has revealed the magnitude of this captivity.
Now what? Now I know these chains are there, and suddenly feel their weight, but how do I get them off of ME!!
Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...
Christ was sent to set me free!!
James 1: 22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does.
I must stop looking everywhere else to see what I should become and who I should look like, but search the "perfect law", the word. This is more than just reading the bible though, it says "look intently".
My Father- in- law once gave us (a college class he was teaching) a visual. He said this verse should inspire us to have a flip down mirror, like in our cars, to consistently check ourselves. I should consistently check myself against the word of God to see what I look like.
"... not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it". vs 25
"...keeping oneself from being polluted by the world". vs 27
I realize though that most of my captivity has to do with my insecurities with who I am. WHO AM I!?
Job 31:6 Says that God weighs me on honest scales. HIS conclusion of who I am is true and honest. He doesn't get confused on who He sees, and He is not fooled by the front I hold up for all to see.
So what He says about me IS! Do I trust that, do I believe that?
I say... "I am unattractive"
He says "... You are fearfully and wonderfully made" Ps. 139:14
I say..."If people knew who I really was, they wouldn't think much of me."
"He says "... I knows you." Ps 139:1
I say... "I am going to ruin my children. I am going to scar them for life."
He says ".. My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness."2Co 12:9
Do I believe those things!? Do I believe God?
I have so many more thoughts on my mind concerning this, but I will post those later.
Give me your feed back. What scriptures come to mind when you think of comparing?
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6 comments:
I totally agree..what a well thought out lesson. We as women struggle with this so much! Our society tells us we have to be, perform, appear ..so many ways that are not in line with God. And Satan moves swiftly through Christian moms and wives ever so quietly, as we compare ourselves to them and them to us. On one hand we judge too harshly, on another we may compare for the sake of making ourselves feel better. Either way, God is not the judge there ..we are making ourselves such.
A great reminder and a powerful lesson. I am reminded of a verse that doesnt have as much to do with comparing as it does to being constantly aware of how Satan can distract us..."for he is prowling lion, waiting to devour.."
Comparing ourselves to anything other than Christ's image, makes for an ugly picture! :)
Very good thoughts Lacey.
I heard a thought(sorry,can't remember where) once that made this area easier to manage for me-
"The more you THINK about yourself(how I look,etc.) the more unhappy you become."
I think it's true too- if we're focus on others and get our thoughts off ourselves we spend far less time in the struggle.
People become "works of art" rather than "projects" to analyze.
Sorry- no scripture here- you already used the ones I was thinking of!!! :)
Lace, what a good indication that You and God are searching the innermost places in your heart. I agree that comparing yoursel to others will depress you. Just when you think you have met one expectation, another desirable trait shows up in someone else.
Here's a verse: 2Co 10:12 ¶ For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Love you
Thank to each of your for your comments. It has helped me develop my follow up to this post. Mr. Bubba, thank you for your verse. I found myself checking for your response :) I knew it would be good. Ms. Autumn, I love your word picture of "works of art".
Court, part of your comment is exactly where I was headed for my next post. Cant wait to share it! Love you all. Now keep commenting! It does my heart good
lace, I am pleased that someone actually remembers something from those classes.Easy to believe it is you. You have always payed attention ... especially to my faults :)
LOL! Those were silly days! I am glad we have those memories to pull from. They are precious to us.
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