COMPARISON - The act or process of comparing

COMPARISON - The act or process of comparing


"Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them."  1 Corinthians 7:17


Lately I've been in a slump. Every now and again I hit that slippery slope and spiral downward into feeling sorry for myself. It usually happens when I start comparing my life to my friends and others my age. I watch them with their children and grandchildren and listen in on their conversations about their family and how wonderful it all is. They are so proud of those grandchildren and tell the funny and cute things they are doing. The thing is, I would be doing the same thing if I was a grandmother, so I'm not criticizing or being cynical by any means. I truly am happy for them. It's when I start comparing that the sin of self-pity raises its ugly head and starts eating away at my contentment. Oswald Chambers said that "self-pity was of the devil."  Elizabeth Elliott said, "to hell with self-pity" because that's where we can trace the source.


The verse from 1 Corinthians above is sometimes difficult and impossible to live out, especially if I'm wallowing in the unfairness of the sorrows of life. I have to find a way out. Usually, I disconnect for a while, even from social media, anywhere or anything that can be a seedbed for planting self-pity.


There's only one way out of this state of mind and heart and that is to take refuge in my Savior. Since He has allowed my life to be what it is, I have to believe that He wants to use it somehow for His purposes. The challenge is to trust Him to lead and guide me in the path that He has assigned and to find joy in Him, not my circumstances.


So, as I take the next step, I know my God has the power to bring up His feeble child out of the pit; from being turned inward, into looking up - fixing my eyes on Jesus. I will take  a step away to re-focus and find strength through solitude, quietness and prayer and through the words that speak from the Scriptures. This is the only way out.......I know from past times.......lesson learned.