At a young age, we notice we are different than others. Yet, this is exactly why we want to be the same as everyone else. We pretty much spend the majority of our lives -- if not the entire thing, comparing ourselves to others. I don't know about you, but I am weary of living in a Venn Diagram. I noticed this when I downloaded Snapchat.
I always despised math, to be honest. So when the Venn Diagram method was introduced to me, I kind of just rolled my eyes. It was tiring and laborious to always compare and contrast different figures. I was bummed that this method of logic also spread to other units of subjects. It got to a point where I wasn't just seeing this thing in math, but it was stalking me in science and English! It was always burdensome to place the differences between two objects in the bigger circles, and their similarities right in the narrow center. When grade school was over, I cynically kissed the infamous Venn Diagram goodbye, however, it still haunts me today -- perhaps you too. I realized I was trapped inside of one when I acknowledged my addiction to social media.
Back in the day (2011) I focused on the amount of Facebook "friends" I had. Then this same objective was the anchoring root for my Twitter and Vine account. I wanted to seem like I had a lot of friends. After recognizing that real friendships didn't sprout from those mediums, I no longer cared about comparing the amount of followers and friends I had with others. Instead, my Instagram and Snapchat became a laboratory of visual concoctions to display the good things of my life. However, I found myself falling victim to negatively comparing myself to others. So many people were posting pictures with their friend groups -- which I lacked. Then, of course, every Sunday it was #SelfieSunday so everyone had to look their best for an airbrushed close-up. I found myself feeling left out and not as beautiful, depending on how many likes and comments I would get under a picture compared to someone else's. I had to take a break from it all. I needed to find my self-worth in another place apart from the phone screen. To be honest, I think Snapchat is the greatest Comparison Monster of all. I had to delete it.
The concept of Snapchat always kind of freaked me out. So you're saying there's this app that can be used to post a picture or video to hundreds of people or just an individual? Oh, and they can all see what you're doing at a specific time, at a specific place, with specific people? Nice. That's not creepy at all. The real scary part is, how much time and effort we invest in putting on a show for everyone. We want to emotionally provoke others by snapping something bizarre, crazy, or fun to get attention. It's a "friendly" competition to who can have the most fun; whose life seems better. Therefore, we spend hours watching people's Stories of what they've been doing within the past 24 hours, while sometimes not even talking to them personally. Skipping and flashing through posts, we can feel the spirits of Jealously, Envy, FOMO (Fear of Missing out), and Inadequacy boiling up like a volcano ready to erupt. As it explodes, it only shatters our own individual confidence.
Whether you want to admit it or not, we all compare and contrast ourselves to others. Sometimes it even occurs subconsciously. The sin of comparison only lowers my self-esteem. I was done playing games with my worth and value, finding it from shadowy and broken places. Don't you see that we are citing our significance from unreliable sources? We are looking left and right for affirmation from other people, instead of looking up. I had to put some rest to scrolling on the screen and became active on flipping through pages,
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you," (Jeremiah 31:3).
I recently stumbled upon these words and they say so much using so little. Our Creative and Loving Father is telling you and me how valuable we are to Him. He has drawn and made us with love. This makes me feel so special and important. Despite what people say to you on and off social media, despite how many likes and friends you have, despite feeling yourself housed in an obnoxious Venn Diagram, just know that the Big Cheif, the Creator of everything, and the Sweet Father has made you beautiful, loved, and worthy of His attention.
