Compared to you
If you’re anything like me, I find myself comparing myself to others nearly every day. It happens so often that it seems quite normal.
Normal to feel imperfect.
Normal to feel like a failure.
Normal to feel like a mess.
Normal to feel like each day didn’t add up to the expectations I set.
I don’t blame all of this on social media or magazines, movies, and books. A lot of it stems from our own imaginations and just assuming that others are not struggling in the same ways. However, we live in a world that constantly flashes “perfection”.
We tend to share our best moments with our friends online. The best photos, the kids behaving and hugging each other, our freshly cleaned homes, our pets doing amazing tricks, our husbands and boyfriends being amazing and showering us with gifts, love, and jewels. We share the nights out with girlfriends and the mouth-watering meals we’re getting ready to eat.
Although these things did happen, it certainly isn’t the daily, constant life that we live.
Most days we live pretty boring lives. We clean up messes and cook mundane meals (or go through a fast food drive-thru, scarfing down the food before we even get home.)
Most days our kids and our husbands do things that cause us frustration and stress. Many of the photos we take are blurry and have one child pouting, crying, yelling, or frowning.
We are not alone.
This. Is. Everyone.
Nobody is perfect.
Nobody has a good day every single day. It’s not reality, even if it completely seems like it. The grass is no greener over there.
we are, however, unique
We are all different and created to be unique. How cool is that? We don’t have to live in some kind of box designed by the world because we are designed by God.
Some people are more naturally organized, some people are artistic. Some moms enjoy planning amazing outings and pack incredible lunches for their kids. Some homes are typically clean and others have husbands who do an amazing job loving their wives.
But nobody has it all together. Especially when we are in the midst of mothering and in the beginning stages of marriage. Years have a way of helping us mature as we go through life, learn to look to Jesus, and learn from our mistakes…but you have to make the mistakes to learn. And sometimes sharing our mistakes can help others learn.
So, let’s stop comparing ourselves to a perfect world that doesn’t exist and start celebrating our uniqueness.
Let’s start celebrating the fact that we are not alone in our “mess”. Let’s start sharing a bit more of our mess with those around us.
I’m not saying you should vomit your junk all over the place and air out your dirty laundry for all to see. I’m saying, let’s get real. Let’s be more transparent. Let’s be a community of women who want to see others succeed and who want to cheer others on. Let’s rise up and be who we are meant to be!
Let’s look to our Bibles for truth!
We aren’t going to find truth on the back of a cereal box or scrolling Pinterest. We may find some great ideas and ways to try and achieve “perfection” or a fun fact about Fiber, but we won’t find truth about who we are created to be.
But the Bible can supply us with a kind of truth that wipes away every feeling of self-doubt and worthlessness. The words of Jesus can speak truth into our hearts, telling us we are so loved and so perfect, just the way we are. And when we try to follow what Jesus has for us, we will stop looking at others to find the answers, but instead we will look inward and grow.
If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.
Galatians 6:3-5
We are not imperfect.
We are not failures.
We are not a mess.
Each day, we are ENOUGH.
Bible journaling details
I chose a flamingo and a peacock to illustrate this verse because both are such beautiful, unique birds. I’m sure if they looked at each other, they would have much to compare, each seeing the others beauty and maybe wishing they possessed some of it. But when we look at them, we see the unique touch that God blessed them both with. Why don’t we see ourselves like that?
I used Neocolor ii watersoluble crayons, water brushes, and a faber castell artist pitt pen B(rush) size.
More about my favorite supplies and where to purchase them, here.
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Harriett Inyangson says
Your blog on comparing yourself was encouraging. It is so easy to compare ourselves with other’s lives. This is something I struggle with daily.
Rachelle says
❤️ I’m finding that the more I find my worth in Jesus, the less I even think about comparing myself to others. Every year seems to get a bit easier as I walk closer with Him. Praying more of that for you as well.
Rhonda says
Thank you for sharing your beautiful illustration between the flamingo and the peacock. That picture is an incredible representation of God’s love for each individual person; no matter shape, size, skin color, job title, how easy success may have come for someone else and so forth and so forth. I asked myself, “What is it that I seek when I compare myself?” To be apart of…, to be included in…, to be important…, to be loved…, to belong without judgement…, to be free of self doubt and worthlessness…
Reading your blog tonight helped me to refocus and see that through God and the Son, I am apart, included, important, loved, not judged on my appearance, I’m not worthless – I am “fearfully and wonderfully made”.
Thank you. Rhonda
Rachelle says
Love this. You absolutely are worth more than you could ever imagine.