Beware the Compare

When I woke up this morning I desperately wished that I was a morning person. I longed to be the kind of woman that when my alarm went off, I could hop out of bed, sing my way through a morning shower, and fix lunches for my household with a smile on my face!

Not ten minutes later,  I started envying women whose husband's help them get the kids ready for the day. A second set of hands to deal with a child that hates mornings just like me would be such a blessing!

When I'm at work, I see mamas that drop their children off and they are so put together. Hair and makeup are done. Their outfits aren't wrinkled and covered in the milk from the great sippy cup battle. Talk about feeling envious! I so long to be that kind of woman!

But the truth is, mornings are terrible in my home! I hate waking up, my husband hates waking up, and surprise surprise, my little bit loves to sleep in as well. If I'm not careful though my day can get destroyed from the beginning if I do not start guarding my thoughts and my heart from the moment my alarm goes off.

I don't know if you are like me, but I suffer from a spirit of comparison. Some women compare their objects with other families objects. Wanting their cars, or homes, or their nice furniture. Some women compare relationships. Envying others families, friends, or loved ones. Then on the other hand some women compare non tangible things. How their children behave, their personal image, or the amount of love they see.

We live in a society that is fueled by comparing our lives with others. Just look at facebook. Everyone puts their highlights on facebook, but like me, you start to judge your sad, dark times against someone's highlights. Suddenly your joy is stolen.

One spin on pinterest in the home section, and the home you live in suddenly seems inadequate. Regardless of how much you love your home, it is easy to find something you would rather have!

We are all familiar with the Ten Commandments. Do not covet. I think a modern translation should be, do not compare. If you begin to compare, you start to open your heart to the devil and his whispers that tear you down. Comparing your life to others mine as well be a neon sign flashing that says "I do not treasure what God has given me".

God gave you this life because He trusted you to live it to the fullest. There's a reason you have what you have been given!  I'm a hoarder of money, I'm a better steward of God's money when I do not have a lot of it. I'd love to not worry about money, but God knows what he's doing!

You may have strained relationships and you long for the companionship others have. But maybe God is molding you to be a leader later or honing attributes you need to be a better friend,  sister, or wife.

Just because you do not have everything you want or think you deserve does not mean that God has given you less than your neighbor! So much of our lives are kept private. So when you compare lives with someone else it may not even be accurate!

You may have woken up like me and longed to be something different. But friend, God has created this life just for you! He trusts you to live it to fullest! This life you lead is not right for me or your neighbor. It is specially designed by the Saviour of the Universe for you to love daily to bring glory to His name and to draw closer to Him.

I challenge you to guard your heart. Consciously live the rest of this week to push away comparisons in your head. To tell the devil that it doesn't matter what pinterest tells you a bedroom needs to look like because you have been the best steward possible with the things God has given you. And the next time you think someone has it better than you, say a prayer for them. Chances are they feel lacking too!