Theodore Roosevelt was spot on when he said, “Comparison is the thief of joy”. Unfortunately, social media has the world in a comparison frenzy with highlight reels of all the good, and none of the bad—making us feel like everyone ELSE has it all together.

“She’s in Paris… they just got engaged… he bought a new car.”

We evaluate our lives based on these illusions, and become ungrateful for what WE have been blessed with. If we don’t change the way we think, it will only continue to get worse. There’s no end in sight, because the habit can’t be overcome by attaining success—there will always be something or someone else to focus on.

Whether or not we want to admit it, comparison is sin. Proverbs 14:30 says “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” If our hearts and minds are being consumed by envious thoughts, we aren’t putting Jesus on the throne. If we are trying to make others envious of our lives, we aren’t giving Jesus the spotlight. Wouldn’t it be nice to just scroll through our feeds an praise God for what He is doing in everyone else’s lives?

***New Years Resolution***

While focusing on the negatives is rarely as helpful as focusing on the positives, there is important space to be found remembering that nobody is perfect, and nobody is living a painless life. Triumph requires an obstacle to be overcome, and everybody is suffering through their own—whether you are close enough to know it or not.

The song “Different”, by Micah Tyler, has a line in it that says, “when they see me, let them see you”. The first time I heard it, I immediately started to re-evaluate where my heart and mind were at. I want to let God control my life, and give the Enemy no opportunity to discourage me from the plan he has in store. God’s plan for my life is the BEST plan for my life.

Jesus speaks about comparison in Galatians 6:4-5 “Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others.  Assume your own responsibility.”

We should strive to be the best possible versions of ourselves—not only for ourselves, but for the benefit and contribution we can offer to others. Work hard to take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. Commit to growing a little bit each day, and learn to celebrate the little advancements you are making without comparing them to others. We each get 86,400 seconds each day, and using even one to compare yourself or your accomplishments to another is one second too many.