Stop Comparing Yourself

Like most people today, I struggle with comparing my self to others. In how I dress, how I did my hair and makeup that day, what I eat, how I spend my free time, and a whole host of other topics. Am I preaching to the choir yet? Thought so. God created us perfect in His image and then sin entered the world and our relationship with others in our lives along with our relationship with ourselves broke. Sounds funny doesn't it? Having a broken relationship with ourselves. To me this means that we do not see our selves the way that God sees us. I'll be the first to admit, I have never seen myself the way that God sees me.
Just recently God told me in my heart to "Stop Comparing Yourself." You see, we live in a society run by Satan who spends his every waking moment trying to tell us that we are not good enough. The good news though is that if we tune our ears to God and listen to what He has to say about us we will learn that we are perfect just the way we are. My fast metabolism and low appetite which keeps me very small is the way God made me, even though I would love to have an extra five pounds on or the fact that I do not like my hair texture (still working on accepting this quality). The thing is that we will never be happy while we are constantly comparing ourselves to those around us. You will spend your whole life trying to change yourself into who you think you should be instead of who God has created you to be. For myself I spend the last eleven years changing my hair length and style because I kept thinking that some other style would make me happy, but it never did. Thankfully God has done some work in me and I think I now know how I want to style my hair and I understand why I was so indecisive about it all those years.
I do not know what areas of your life you compare yourself to others, and it does not matter. The only thing that matters is that you know that you are loved by and made in the image of God and that God does not make any mistakes, He is perfect, He made you just the way you are, flaws and all. Of course, your flaws are not flaws in His eyes, they are really gifts that He has given to us to a) learn to love ourselves and b) for our personal ministries. Meaning that as we accept ourselves for who God has made us and we get to tell those around us what God has done in our lives and lead others into a relationship with Him.
You, like myself, might also compare yourself in what stage of life you are in now versus where you wish you were. I know for myself I wish I had a house, a dog, kids, and my degree finished. So far, I have a small apartment, a husband, and this summer we are finally getting a dog. I am "ahead" of some of my friends and "behind" others. The best part is that recently God reminded me that it does not matter what age you are at when you accomplish these things. Age is just a number, it's not a deadline for getting your "to-do list" finished. God has a plan for all of our lives, and whether we like it or not we are exactly where He wants you to be right now.
I also know that with social media these days and the challenge to have more likes, followers, comments, and of course all the filters we can use to make our pictures nicer than someone else's has driven our need to compete with friends and the rest of the world that much more, but that's not how we should be running our lives. We need to stop living for the next comment on our new profile picture and get into the Word of God, get back to what really matters.
So, turn off your social media accounts and pick up your Bible and ask God who He says you are. I guarantee you will love His answer.
As always I hope you are blessed by this post and if you do not yet know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior ask myself or someone else who does and we would be thrilled to journey with you as you enter the best relationship of your life.
God Bless
~Ruth