FREE FROM COMPARISON
by: Tess Carmichael
Comparison is killing our relationships. When we compare- we’re slowly draining the life out of the relationship. Imagine we’re gardening and we spot a weed. If we pluck it out, the surface issue is gone and the garden looks beautiful. The problem is we haven’t dealt with the root issue and eventually the weed will grow back. Comparison is that pesky weed. Until we deal with the heart issue, comparison will keep popping back up in our garden and destroying our relationships.
Three practical steps to weed out our comparison mindset:
Be content in the Lord. It’s amazing how quickly our perspective changes when we stop focusing on ourselves and fix our gaze on the Father. A few ways to shift our perspective: switch on a worship song, read a truth in scripture that negates the lie you just thought, thank God for something He did that day, pray a blessing over a friend, neighbor, or family member.
Celebrate others, and actually mean it. When did it become normal to have so many friends that grin and bear it, over those that genuinely celebrate wins? It’s time to stop dropping passive-aggressive hints about how “everyone actually hates bridal showers” or “how surprised you are that THEY got the promotion”, and instead lean into biblical perspective characteristics... to love sincerely, walk in humility, honor one another, to laugh and cry together.
Cultivate your own thing. As we shift our mindset away from comparison we’ll naturally begin to see our relationships differently. From there we have to decide how we want them to look moving forward. No one marriage, friendship or relationship with God will look exactly the same as another. God designed each person (and therefore relationship) as a unique strand to a much bigger tapestry of community. We make that community better by embracing and learning from the differences, rather than getting stuck in comparison.
“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.” — Galatians 6:4-5
TESS CARMICHAEL
Website: www.southhills.org/burbank
Instagram: @tess_amanda