Comparison is the Thief of Joy

I've been thinking  a lot lately about how often we compare ourselves with others and immediately become discouraged or frustrated because we can never be just like them. Growing up it was that I wasn't as smart as others students in my classes, and even now in college this is still a constant concern of mine, but now dating has become involved as well. I've caught myself many times thinking, "why can't I be in an adorable relationship like them," after running into a friend with his or her significant other. This type of thinking is neither encouraging nor productive. So why do we do it? 

Theodore Roosevelt is credited with saying “comparison is the thief of joy,” and I definitely feel that he hit the nail on the head. Our society seems to encourage comparison about everything. “Which toilet paper is the best? Which mascara is most waterproof or gives the longest looking lashes? Who can sing or dance the best? Whose personal life is more interesting?” And on and on and on and on; it’s exhausting. We constantly look at what others have that we don’t instead of looking at what God has gifted us with. If we put as much time and energy into exploring and nurturing our own gifts as we do into comparing ourselves to others, we would not only be so much happier, but we would also be closer to becoming who God wants us to be. Comparison will always be there, but we have to make the decision not to dwell on those negative thoughts or devalue ourselves in our own eyes, because we are loved by the King, and that’s all that matters.