comparison bug bites

last weekend i went on an english camp team retreat. i had had no expectations for it...i had not a single idea what we'd be doing.

so i entered the cold parsonage where we stayed without knowing that a great weekend filled with prayer (and organization and games:)) was ahead.

learning about our gifts and the body

there was a great prayer room (with a nice toasty heater!) set up, where we could paint, write on the wall, and listen to worship music. someone was in that room praying the whole weekend, even at 3 in the morning. it was beautiful.

and Taby, our youth pastor, spoke to us a couple times. he reminded us of the spiritual gifts that God blessed his believers with so that we can work as one functional body.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12

reminding us of our differences
in how we glorify God

one of the greater struggles that i think women have is that of comparison. the comparison bug can attack when we're browsing facebook or pinterest, go to another person's house which is more "clean" and "nice," or just thinking about the people around us. in college it was common for me to compare myself as a Christian to those who seemed more spiritual than me, and it really hurt my self-esteem and relationship with Christ.

and the comparison bug still bites me sometimes. but as Taby was reminding us of these spiritual gifts, i remembered that these gifts are what GOD HAS GIVEN US. when i compare my gifts and come up short next to someone else, i'm totally neglecting what God's given me. it's like i'm telling him that what He's granted me with isn't good enough or not what i want.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10

i need to SLAP that bug! it's ugly! it has no place on me, because I am God's - a result of God's grace. when i compare myself to others, i weaken the body of Christ, and it becomes more dysfunctional. God gave us these gifts to glorify him and his character. when i compare myself, it doesn't glorify God's grace towards me. an eye can't compare itself to the knee and try to be more like it, because that's not its place.

God has created us perfectly, and he sacrificed his Son so that we could be perfect. he blessed us with gifts to glorify him. let's not remove that perfection and glory through comparison.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good...All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1 Corinthians 12: 4-7, 11