“There is no win in comparison” or how Andy Stanley says it, “There is no win in compariSIN”. He was a speaker at a women’s conference that I attended last Fall in St Louis. He actually does a three part series that I encourage EVERYONE to watch. The Comparison Trap series. His church is North Point Church in Atlanta, GA.

Comparing our life,  our husbands, our children, our possessions, our money, our jobs  with others has become a past time for some people. We never seem satisfied with where we are and what we are doing. We live in America and even with all of the problems it is still the greatest nation on the face of the earth. When I was in Israel , my family and I had an interesting conversation with someone who lives in Israel. He told us the reason that so many other countries hate Americans is we are so RICH beyond belief. It is who we are, it is pouring out of us, it is oozing out of us and the problem is, we don’t even know it. We want MORE.

We have ALL been guilty of this at some point and to some degree in our life. Living in this materialistic society it is something that each one of us must battle. Every where we look, TV, billboards, magazines tell us what to do to look young-er, skinny-er, rich-er, smart-er. As Pastor Andy says in this brief clip, we all want to be a better “ER”. It is something that we have to choose to not partake in by renewing our mind with the truth which is the word of God.

Envy and jealousy will not bring healing or blessings. In fact these emotions will destroy your health. It will destroy your peace of mind. It will destroy your testimony. It will keep you from experiencing the best that God has waiting for you. Proverbs 14:30 tells us that a calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones.

When we live in a state of jealousy or envy, we are basically telling God that He made a mistake. We are telling Him that His plan for our life is not good enough. ”God owes me!” This is a hard truth but it is the truth. God’s plan for our life is always better than our own plan for our life. When we live in a state of contentment and learn to be happy at others successes, when we stop comparing our lives to someone else, then and only then will we ever be ready to receive the amazing life God has waiting for us.

We are suppose to run the race that God has set for each one of us. Not the race that we set for ourselves. Not the race that other people set for us. Lastly, not the race that our culture sets for us. You only run the race that God has set for YOU. If we try to run any other course we are going to fail and get discouraged. I believe the reason there is so much discouragement today is we have taken our eyes off of God. We are trying to compare ourselves to others.

Trying to please other people. Living for the approval of others is a weight we were never meant to carry. We need to quit focusing to the left or to the right of us. We need to focus on above. We need to lift our eyes up and say, Where does my help come from, my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Psalms 121:2.

GRASP this truth today. God has created YOU for a unique and awesome purpose. Run forward in his love and his approval. He is always by your side and will never leave you or forsake you.God has an amazing plan for each one of us according to Jeremiah 29:11. ’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

He has blessings and favor waiting to be poured out. He is telling us to give up the jealousy today! Be happy where you are and with what you have! Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Please know that if we will not lay this at the foot of the cross, we may never see our own blessings or favor from God.

Live a life of gratitude and contentment! Do what you can with what you have and wait on God!! But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31.