Luke 12:16-21
"Keeping Pace or
Keeping Peace"
No matter what you’re tempted to compare, there
will always be someone with more than you and there will always be someone with
less. Whether you compare husbands or hair, there will always be someone else
to envy and someone envying you.
So you have a choice: either keep pace or keep
peace.
Comparison will tempt you to keep pace, to
accumulate more. But the parable in today’s reading illustrates that
accumulating more is a worthless pursuit if what you’re accumulating isn’t put
to good use for God’s purposes. The wise choice is peace with what God has
entrusted to you.
In some areas, he’s given you more than
others—maybe you’re a talented singer or gifted writer. In other ways, you may
come up short—perhaps you had a challenging childhood or disappointing
marriage. But God doesn’t ask you to change what you’ve been given. He asks you
to use what you’ve been given.
Whether a lot or a little, what you have is less
important than what you do with what you have.
TRY THIS: We all have a surplus
of something. Brainstorm one area in which God has given you a surplus and
commit to one thing you can do today to better use it for him.
Adapted
From: Comparison Trap - You Version
dAY 5
1 Timothy 6:17-19
"Out Loud and On Purpose"
In the depths of the
comparison trap, it’s really hard to follow today’s advice. But these two
action steps are the only way out: celebrate and leverage.
Imagine that your
colleague gets a promotion. Before she’s even finished telling you her good
news, insecurity is whispering that you must not have been good enough. And
envy is reminding you of her fancy new title and pay raise.
So how do you quiet
these lies? You celebrate her out loud and on purpose. You speak words—even if
they don’t match your thoughts—that applaud her. There’s something powerful and
liberating about celebrating the success of other people. It’s like popping a
balloon filled with all the insecurity and envy of comparison.
And then you should
look for ways to leverage what God has given you. Like a recipe’s list of
ingredients, God has given you talents and treasures in specific amounts for a
reason. How can you put them to good use? Even if your house isn’t as big and
fancy as your friend’s, how can you best use yours? Even if you’re not as
eloquent as you’d like, can you still offer encouraging words to a friend?
Celebrating what God
has given others and leveraging what God has given you may not come naturally.
But see for yourself if these two action steps aren’t an instant antidote to
the comparison trap.
TRY THIS: Who in your life has received good news lately?
Celebrate her out loud and on purpose today and see if it doesn’t reduce envy’s
grip on your heart.
