Early this week I shared a story about my Pinterest fail. The beautiful cake I had intended to make, probably because I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, did not turn out like the end product I was hoping for. And while there is a message in following Gods plan I believe there is also a message in comparing ourselves to others.
2 Corinthians 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.
While the cake very apparently did not resemble the end product I was hoping for it was truly delicious. Sadly, no matter how delicious it was I still was a little saddened by the appearance. I was comparing it to something I had never actually seen in person, never tasted and truly didn’t even know if the perfect Pinterest picture was an actual cake.
The Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat world we live in makes comparing so easy. Even though we know people usually only post the best days, the best cakes and their best outfits it is still so easy to fall into the comparison trap. “Wow, their kid is always smiling right at the camera while mine either won’t look or inevitably has his finger in his nose.” Or “look at their laundry room, where are they hiding the baskets of clean clothes ready to be folded?!??” Or “I only got 15 likes on the photo of the dinner I made, but she got 30.”
So often in life we measure our progress by others praise and our successes by the success of others. The danger in comparing ourselves to others is that we abandon our God given path to pursue a man made trail of empty praise. The only healthy comparison is when we compare our lives (our fruit) to His word. God designed each of us for a specific purpose. God designed me for a specific purpose ( I repeated that mainly for myself because I often need a reminder.) I am not like the person next door or in my Facebook feed not because I am failing, but because God made me the way I am so I can uniquely impact my world.
Lord, let me always seek your purpose for my life. Let me always follow your leading whether it involves praise or persecution.
That Could Preach 