The Comparison Trap

By: Melissa Baker

When I was growing up, we weren't extremely "well off". Since my family didn't have a lot of money, that meant we usually didn't have all the fashionable clothing, accessories and latest trend items. I remember often thinking, "I wish I had her clothes", or "she is so much prettier than I am". I was insecure as it was, so having less than flattering clothing and hand me downs, didn't help much. I looked up to certain people, weather it be for their style, status or looks. But that often lead to comparing myself to those people. So I ended up in the comparison trap.  And if we are not careful, falling into that comparison trap can happen easier than we think. This isn't just a "teenage" problem. Grown adults have this problem as well. Sometimes, we compare ourselves to other women without even realizing we are doing it. The comparison trap does not have a specific target. Anyone at any age can fall victim to it if we allow ourselves to.

Wanting what others have is the ultimate thief of joy and it will leave you disappointed with your own life. When you compare yourself to others, what you are really doing is taking your own gifts and blessings for granted. When you are worried about what everyone else has or is doing, you become jealous, discontent, and you often cannot see what God is doing in your own life, because you are blinded by theirs.

In Galatians 6:4, we are instructed to examine our own lives, and who God has made us to be as an individual. What talents do you have that someone else does not? How can God use you for something that no one else can do? How can your testimony be used to reach someone, that no one else can reach? Each and every person was given a certain skillset that He wants to use in a specific way. Once you realize your own purpose or talents, let God use you! Place your focus on those things that God has blessed YOU with.  

"Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else."

Galatians 6:4

There is a  powerful phrase that someone once wrote and I find it very helpful. It reads: "Someone else's success does not rob you of anything." If we can just remember that the next time we fall into the comparison trap, we can focus on the calling God has in our own lives, instead of what we don't have or where we are lacking. Don't fall into the comparison trap, let's be happy for other people's success and work on making our own!



Have a blessed day!