Monday
God Loves Me in Spite of How Much or How Little I "Have It Together"
Comparison. It's something we're all really good at. Especially as mothers.
We often compare ourselves to other moms in how we raise our kids, what we feed them, what (or how many) ministries we're involved in, how many Facebook friends we have, how many page views our blogs get, how much our husbands make, how big our house is, how well our house is decorated, how we educate our children and the list goes on.
Sometimes this comparison leads towards pride because we think we've got a handle on some of those things and other times it leads to discouragement and even depression because we see ourselves as inferior to those moms we think are ahead of the game.
But God is teaching me to stop comparing.
2 Corinthians 10:12 tells us that we are ignorant if we compare ourselves with each other. It is foolish to use ourselves and others as a standard of measurement.
Why? Because comparing myself to others only leads to harm. I will either be filled with pride because I think I am doing a better job than that other mom or I will walk away feeling utterly defeated wondering why I can't get things together like her.
God's grace is sufficient for me no matter where I'm at in life and God really doesn't care if I'm the World's Best Soccer Mom or not.
What He does care about is me being a good steward of what He has entrusted to me and He wants me to keep my eyes on Him alone--my sweet, wonderful, compassionate, loving Jesus who loves me and gave Himself for me.
Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us greatly in this journey of life.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith"
What weight is slowing you down? I know for me it often comes bundled in this huge burden of comparison and sometimes it disguises itself as "Mommy Guilt."
Mommy guilt creeps in when I start letting what others think of me dictate my choices.
If I'm not careful, it can be this awful weight I hoist up on my shoulders each day the moment my feet hit the floor.
I have lived in the boxing ring of mommy guilt where I would often beat myself up because of false standards in and around my life. It's not a pleasant place to be.
Comparison is a weight that slows us down. It either causes us to be filled with pride and then the good works we do are in vain or it causes us to be discouraged by where we are at in life.
The cure for comparison is fixing our eyes on Jesus.
When we do, His peace and contentment flood the sin of comparison right out the back door of our hearts.
We need to stop getting tripped up by comparison and instead gather endurance for the race God has set before us by keeping our eyes on Him. He is the ultimate goal and He starts and finishes the work of faith in us.
It's interesting that people never really change much from generation to generation.
In Jesus' day, the people were burdened by the ceremonial laws and ever watchful eye of the Sadducees and Pharisees, the spiritual watchdogs of the day.
Christ came to free us from the burden of rule keeping (or maybe we should say He has freed us from the Mommy Wars?) and instead urges us to take his yoke upon us. His "burden" is so much better and freeing because He is "humble and gentle at heart, and [with Him we] will find rest for our souls."
Sisters, we need to stop burdening ourselves with comparison.
We need to find our contentment in Christ because we have been crucified with Him. It is no longer us who live, but Christ who lives in us; and the life which we now live in the flesh we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself up for us. Galatians 2:20
You have been freed so that you can live your life the way God wants you to live it, not the way you feel you have to live it in order to meet others' expectations.
Remember, "when people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them." 2 Corinthians 10:18
Will you join me in striving to daily find our contentment in Christ?
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4 comments:
Dear MOM,
That was very Good!
I Love it.
Love,
Your Son,
Carter!{PS.I LOVE YOU!}
Carter, You sweet boy! Thanks for reading my post and leaving a comment. That means a lot to me. I love you too!
Love, Mom
dear MOM, That was AMAZING! I am sure one mom will come to know Jesus from that post. I LOVE YOU so VERY MUCH!
LOVE,
your dauter,
Carlee.
I really can't even express how much your sweet comments meant to me Carter (age 8) and Carlee (age 6). I am blessed to be your Momma. xoxoxoxox
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