"Why am I not as pretty as her?" "I wish I could have as many friends as she does." "I wish I looked like her." "I wish I had her life..."
In this day and age, insecurity, comparison, and judgement have become a social norm. We are insecure about who we are, we compare ourselves to others, and we judge other people based on who they are (or aren't), what they look like, the clothes they wear, etc. We look at what someone else is doing or accomplishing and wish our life looked like THAT.
It is a part of human nature to compare and want to be the best at everything. But it's also more than that, this is a problem hidden deep within the heart. Often when we feel the need to compare ourselves, it's because we aren't secure with who we are. We need the satisfaction of being "better" than someone else to make us feel better. However, this feeling of superiority is temporary. Just as Franklin Roosevelt said, the decision to compare only steals joy from our life. Comparison takes the value, meaning, and fulfillment out of life.
With comparison comes judgment. When you compare yourselves to others, you are basically judging whether someone is "better or worse" than you. Truthfully, it is so hard to avoid this when there is a multitude of categories upon which we can compare and a colossal amount of people to compare ourselves to. We get stuck in this "comparison trap," and it seems to be a never-ending cycle. But there is good news: We are not bound to this way of thinking. God did not create us to be this way. In 2 Corinthians 10:12 it says "[...] But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding."
We get so caught up in societal norms and social media that we forget whose image we are made from. REMINDER: We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God by God Himself. God created you, myself, and every person in this world exactly how He wanted. Each one of us is beautiful in the eyes of the One who made the universe. I also feel like we become consumed with the timing and the plans for our lives. We sometimes feel that others are further in their faith or know what they are doing with their life. But Jesus has perfect timing and His plans are greater than we could ever imagine. He has a purpose and plan for your life that is different from every other person who was ever created.
We must come to understand that our life has value because we were created in the image of God, regardless of what you or anybody else thinks. As we grow in God, we turn the focus away from ourselves and we focus upon God. We focus on the gifts of others and we rejoice with them for what God has given them. There will always be someone who can do what we do better than we can, but we must continue to do what God has called us to; love ourselves, love others, and serve Jesus. We are to be full of confidence because God has made us and has called us to serve him. There is no one else like you in the world—God has seen to that.
My prayer for this world is that we would seek the presence of Christ in our lives everyday, and that we would understand that God doesn't make junk and He has never made a person that he doesn't love. We were made for the glory of God, and that is where our self-esteem should come from.
Final Thought: If God loves you, who cares what anybody else thinks?
