Week five devotional
Lie #5: I’ll never be as good as her.
Envy. Jealousy. Discontentment. Pride. Resentment. Anxiety.
These are just a few of the things that come with comparison. This lie that we’ll never be as good as the person next to us truly breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because of the negative feelings I’ve experienced when I’ve done it, but also because of the way it’s made me feel toward others when I’ve done it.
Comparing yourself or your circumstances to others will always end in one of two ways. You’ll be left feeling bad about yourself or you’ll be putting someone else down to lift yourself up.
2 Corinthians 10:12 says “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”
Our worth is not determined by someone else. It’s not measured by someone else’s accomplishments or by someone else’s circumstances. God has already determined your worth. He showed us how much we were worth when he sent his son to die a painful death on a cross for us. We’re also told in that verse that our standard for living is not based on someone else’s life. When you use someone else’s standards as a compass to guide your own life, God literally tells us that this is not wise. It becomes a way to justify sin, and it will create a wedge between you and the Lord. You’ll wind up looking up to Him and saying, “God, I am a good and faithful servant, and yet you’re blessing this person next to me while I sit here in my struggles.” You’ll wind up feeling negative emotions toward the person you’re comparing yourself to, and you’ll start to knock them down to lift yourself up. But the truth is, you’ll never feel good about yourself when you’re putting someone else down.
Comparison is evil and will only lead you down a destructive path. You’ll struggle to recognize any blessings in your own life when you’re looking at someone else's. It will prevent you from being able to recognize and celebrate the progress you’ve made this far on your health and fitness journey if you’re comparing yourself to someone else.
As you continue on this journey of physical transformation and heart transformation, I want you to stay focused on YOUR journey. Not someone else’s. “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”” 1 Samuel 16:7.
God doesn’t care about your outward appearance. He is looking at your heart. Let His standard for living be your compass. Not the picture perfect highlight reel of the girl who seems to have it all that you’re comparing yourself to on Instagram. God is looking down on both of you with love and grace. He loves you equally. When we can recognize this, we can honestly cheer other people on. We can celebrate someone else’s wins because we’re truly happy for them. We can create a cycle where we all lift each other up instead of tear each other down.
Finally, Colossians 3:23 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,”
WHATEVER we do, and that means literally everything we do, we should do it as though we’re working for the Lord. Even your fitness journey. Don’t do anything in pursuit of the approval of man. You already have the approval of the one who matters most.
At this point in your journey, I know your muscles are sore. You’re probably feeling muscles in places you didn’t know existed. If you’ve been sticking to the plan, you’re seeing progress. CELEBRATE those wins. Go into the Facebook group and cheer someone else on who might be feeling a little discouraged! Be the person who lifts others up around you!
Don’t give up now. Hopefully at this point you’re over the hump of feeling like you have to drag yourself to your workout, and you’re starting to crave it. Hold onto those feelings! You have four weeks under your belt. YOU. CAN. DO. THIS.
Week five here we go!!