The Comparison Game
Hi, my name is Emily from the Youtube Channel That Christian Vlogger. I’m excited to share another thought with you on the Gorgeous to God Blog. I had some technical difficulties making a video this month so I will be sharing my thoughts in a written blog post. Thank you so much for joining myself and the other Christian Vloggers this year as we learn and grow together in Christ!
Last month, I made a video about how I struggle with discontentment and how to find contentment in Christ. This month I will be talking about a very similar subject that often-times couples alongside the thought-process of discontentment. Comparison. Why is the comparison game so strong especially for women? I think it has become easier for me to compare my life to others especially in the last several years as I have started to use social media more. I find myself following women I don’t even know on Instagram who have tens of millions of followers. As I scroll down through my feed, I see how amazing their lives are; living in a gorgeous house, taking vacations with their family, and being sponsored by beauty products and wearing gorgeous clothes and makeup. If I’m not careful, the green little monster of envy starts to well up in my soul, and I can easily start to compare my life to theirs. This in turn, leads to discontentment and wanting their type of lifestyle. The most beautiful parts of their lives are posted on Instagram and that’s all I’m seeing. I pause for a second… cause I have been guilty of this as well.
When we are in this mindset of comparison and discontentment, we start to miss out on the blessings and abundant joy that God has for us right now. When I think of a story in the Bible where comparison is a key player, I think of the parable of the Prodigal son. If you are not familiar or haven’t read this passage in a while, you can find it in Luke 15: 11-32. To paint a picture, the wealthy Father of two sons gives his younger son his inheritance when the son asks for it. The younger son then goes away from his home and squanders all his money through worldly living. When the younger son is out of money he comes back to his Father and says that if he can just work for his Father as a servant he will at least have food to eat and a place to stay. The Father runs out to greet the son and is so excited that he throws a feast in celebration for the younger son and treats him exactly as his son again and not a servant. When the older son hears of this he becomes envious and comes to the Father and says “Look, many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never threw me a fest and celebrated.” The Father replied “Son you are always with my and all that is mine is yours, it was fitting to celebrate, for your brother was lost and now he is found.”
Oftentimes, I find myself in the same shoes as the older son, comparing my life to someone else’s not being grateful for what God has given me in the here and now. If I am discontent in this life with access to Jesus and all the trials/blessings he has brought me through, do you think I will be content in heaven living in perfect bliss with Him and in mansions of glory? A life lived in comparison and discontentment is the robber of true joy in Jesus Christ. I wanted to close with some practical ways to start to cut the comparison weed out of our lives: -I have started to unfollow people I don’t even know on Instagram that I have the temptation to compare myself to. I ask myself, “Do I get value from following them on Instagram?” -When I see someone and I start to become envious of them, I flip the switch and compliment them on a talent or attribute God has blessed them with. It’s key to start living a life of gratitude and noticing the positive gifts in others.
Maybe it goes as far as to take a fast from Social Media and really reset you priorities back on what really matters. By knowing Him, our mind and our desires start to change. Thank you for joining me today and I pray that we can all draw closer to Him and experience the abundant joy He has to offer!
-Blessings, Emily
