My amazing friend, television personality, speaker, and talented author, Danielle Macaulay is back with us this week to share a two-part devotional.
Check out Danielle’s new Bible Study, The Get Along Guide, available now at Amazon.com (affil link)
Today’s Scattered Seeds
I did some real “scientific” research recently. I asked women on Facebook what they compare about themselves to other women. You name it – and we compare it. Our weight, our clothes, how we raise our children, how our husband treats us, our careers, spirituality, our sex appeal, and our house cleaning/cooking capabilities. We compare everything from our families to our fingernails. But, we can’t fully put the blame on ourselves.
It’s a competitive world we live in. Everywhere we turn, we are encouraged to scrutinize each other. American Idol paved the way for this generation to master the art of picking people apart and comparing the intricacies of their looks, talent, and personality with the “competition”. Popular celebrity gossip magazine “Us Weekly” regularly includes a “Who Wore it Best” page, featuring two women side by side, wearing the same outfit. Viewers are encouraged to vote for the winner, as the writers analyze features from beads to bags, butts to boobs, and everything in-between. Is there really ever a winner in these games?
Comparing ourselves with others not only is a losing battle, but it is downright sin. It pronounces us the judge (it’s not Simon Cowell’s job, and it’s not ours either). It produces a critical spirit and prevents us from growing into the women God created us to be. Comparison paves the way for self-pity to parade all over us. It tills the ground for both pride and insecurity to grow, depending on our discoveries. Theodore Roosevelt told it like it is when he said, “Comparison is the thief of joy”. But, what if we put a halt to hovering over others, and instead fixed our focus to our fully sufficient source of joy.
God doesn’t want us so over-focused on others that we take our eyes off of Him. He is the measuring stick we must judge ourselves against, and ladies, He is never against us. He is always for us.
Comparison will not only royally suck the living joy and goodness out of you, but it will keep you from all the incredible things that God has in store just for you. Tomorrow we talk about a group of people who almost missed the place God had promised them. In the meantime, I want you to consider all that God has promised you.
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Tilling the Soil
Read Numbers 14:4 to discover what the Israelites decided to do once they scoped out the Giants in the Promised Land. Do you see how getting caught in the comparison trap almost kept them from God’s promise?
Planting Hope
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) (emphasis mine)
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Danielle Macaulay is an author, blogger, speaker and television personality on the marriage television show “A Better Us” (abetterus.tv). She is passionate about her marriage to her husband, recording artist Dan Macaulay (danmacaulay.com), her two young boys, Keaton and Braden, and about helping women grow in their faith (she isn’t afraid to admit she’s also passionate about donuts, Hallmark movies and the spa). She provides regular nourishment for both your body and soul at her popular blog spot frommilktomeat.com and offers families spiritual nourishment and kid friendly recipes in her children’s meal time devotional, “Table Talk: Family Dinner Devos.” Her passion project is her newest release, “Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?!”, a book that encourages and challenges women towards unity.