It's a thrill to have author Holley Gerth as my guest today in our Comparing Ourselves to Others...and what it does to us series. I had the privilege of being on Holley's God-sized Dream Team last year and the pleasure of meeting her in person at the Jumping Tandem Retreat. You can visit her at HolleyGerth.com and at (in)courage. Please welcome Holley here today by leaving a comment. ~ Laura
It’s so easy to look at the woman across the room, across the sanctuary, across the World Wide Web and think, “I should be more like her.” We compare clothes, talents, how many friends we have on Facebook. We crave validation, and surely if we can be like the people we admire, then we will have it.
It’s so easy to look at the woman across the room, across the sanctuary, across the World Wide Web and think, “I should be more like her.” We compare clothes, talents, how many friends we have on Facebook. We crave validation, and surely if we can be like the people we admire, then we will have it.
Yet God doesn’t compare you to anyone else. Not that friend
whose house looks like a spread in a magazine. Not the woman in your church who
knows how to make everyone laugh at just the right moment. Not even the leader
who seems to have a direct line to Jesus while you feel like you’re dialing the
wrong number half the time. Not to any of them—or any other woman who has ever
been or ever will be. When you gave your life to Jesus you became a “new
creation.” Listen closely: it doesn’t say “a new human being.” A new creation.
In other words, God made you into something the world has
never seen before and never will again. We talked about this before, but I
think it’s important enough to say again because women struggle so much with
comparison.
You are a
one-of-a-kind masterpiece, a custom design, a work of art.
And when there is only one of
something, it’s impossible to compare it.
That means since there’s only one of you, you can’t be
compared either. When God looks at you, he sees his handiwork and the sacrifice
of Christ on the cross. That’s it. The only standard he ever asked you to meet
is the one Jesus met in your place. So you are free from being compared.
What do you do instead? Be the you he has created, called,
and redeemed you to be. Develop your strengths. Discover your gifts. Do
whatever you can to serve those around you with what you have. Display his
glory by living fully alive, by beautifully reflecting the part of his image he
has crafted into you.
Give yourself permission to stop comparing. And instead
start celebrating who you are and the God who made you that way. Then let your
heart feel his response…
His incomparable joy.
*****
Holley Gerth is
the best-selling author of You’re Already Amazing, You’re Made for a God-sized
Dream and several other books. She’s also the cofounder of (in)courage and
a life coach. Holley has been married to Mark for thirteen years, lives in the
South and would love to have coffee with you at HolleyGerth.com.
Such an encouragement to be who God created me to be! I've read many of Holley's books and love them. What an honor to have her guest post on your blog Laura.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and love,
Debbie
"God made you into something the world has never seen before and never will again."
ReplyDeleteSuch life in those words! Even though I know comparisons aren't good, I still fall into that trap occasionally so I'm thankful to find this encouragement again today to stop doing it.
Love it. Holley so fun to find you here :-) I spoke a little about this very thing (and what an incredible gift you are and your books) on my blog today actually. Thanks for sharing. Laura love you and your site to.. what an encouragement it always is!
ReplyDeleteWhen I turned 40, I started seeing myself how God saw me - and, oh, I wish I had seen that years earlier. I love what God is doing to me! Trying to live the grace of it even when my boys don't see me that way!
ReplyDelete