As I am sitting here scrolling through Facebook, I am catching myself comparing my life to others. I’m looking at the place someone else is in and thinking I should be there too. It really does steal joy. I know it is so easy to measure our lives up with others. “They have that, and I don’t. Maybe if I had that too I could be happy.” “I wish I looked like her.” And one that I often wonder, “They are my age and they are already married. What am I doing???” It is so easy to let these things creep into your mind. The world we live in says yes! You should compare yourself to that girl. You should look a certain way, talk a certain way, and act a certain way. You should look like the world. Sex before marriage is okay. It will fulfill you. It is okay to drink that pain away. It will help you get through life. But friends, Jesus says no! You should not compare yourself because you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) You should not look like the world! Instead, Matthew 16:24 says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” You see, denying ourselves looks a lot like denying this world and our fleshly desires. This can be hard. We are sinful people living in a sinful world, but none of it leaves us satisfied. All the comparison and all of our fleshly desires leave us empty and broken. You could get every worldly thing you have ever wanted, and I am here to tell you that you will still be left wanting more.
BUT JESUS!!!
One of my favorite ever passages is Ephesians 2:1-10…
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. BUT GOD, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
WOAHHHHH, if that does not get you pumped up I have no clue what will!!! We are His workmanship! He loved US even when we were dead in our trespasses. We have been saved by His grace. This is NOT our own doing, but a GIFT. Dude, I am legit hyped typing this out. It makes me feel like I can do anything being loved like that. My point I am getting to is Jesus is better. He is better than that comparison that keeps bringing you down, better than that anxiety that keeps putting those “what ifs?” in your mind, better than that broken heart you have from a lost relationship, better than that bad grade you got on that exam, better than that addiction….JESUS is BETTER. Not to mention He will keep you fulfilled and only wanting more of Him and His goodness!!! Wherever you are at in life, the Lord has you where you are supposed to be. Just as He has that other girl or guy, that you are comparing yourself to, right where they are supposed to be. Everything is made perfect in His timing. So choose Jesus. Nothing in this world can ever satisfy your soul like He can.
A Life Surrendered 