The Comparison Trap, and Remembering to See Ourselves as God Sees Us (Take Five)

It’s so easy to look at others and compare ourselves, isn’t it? It’s been said that comparison leads us to measure our bloopers and outtakes against someone else’s highlight reel – a dangerous activity indeed. So how do we wrestle with questions, take care of ourselves and still grow in our faith without laying blame or comparing? We have to see ourselves as God sees us, and ask him for mercy and strength as we move through our days. This week’s Take Five offers encouragement for that life-long journey.

Learning instead of comparing

“The truth is that when I engage with people who are different than me, I learn new things—not just about others but also about myself. That day I discovered that I’m not as brave as I thought I was.” Keep reading here.

Andy Stanley reminds us that there is no win in comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-dSDayNutg

You can also watch the video here. 

Donald Miller helps us see that self awareness isn’t the enemy

“The great stumbling block of the creative mind is the awareness of self from the perspective of others. Self awareness isn’t the enemy, because we are in fact masterworks of God, but rather the overemphasis regarding what others think of us. When we think too much about the opinions of others, we are letting them edit a book God has written.” Finish the post here.

A simple exercise to value yourself

“…we had to create a list of ways to realistically pay attention to our well-being. It was called a Covenant of Care—and it was between us and God. But being short on self-discipline, I knew I had to soften the covenant part.” Keep reading here.