Comparing Ourselves
by Jim Person
Recently I spent some time in the woods around our centre in Hungary spending time talking with God. As I prayed I sensed the Lord gently correcting me, because I was comparing myself with others. I then realized I was taking for granted what I had been given by the Lord, and in doing so was inadvertently despising my own unique gifting and abilities.
Many of us do the same, yet God has uniquely given each of us abilities and gifting that we alone can excel in. So why do we look at what He's doing in the lives of others and say 'if I could only be like that' or 'why can't I be used by the Lord in that way?'
Sadly, it's in our fallen human nature to want to compare ourselves with others, and the fruit of that can be discord, envy, jealousy, and even rage, that can then lead us into disappointment and discouragement.
Moses had a similar problem believing in his own abilities, when God commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He said, 'Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt'(Exodus 3:11)?
The Lord has made each of us with specific talents and has given us just the right gifting for us to be all He has designed us to become. God does nothing sparingly or inadequately. He lavished His creative genius upon us all! So today let's be encouraged and not regret who we are, but rejoice that He made us to excel and finish the race set before us.
Prayer: My Lord and Saviour, help me to not compare myself with others but to rest in the security of Your love. Help me to really see what You have done in my life and begin trusting in Your grace to be my sufficiency. Help me to not compare myself with my neighbour or grumble about my perceived lack of abilities. I want to look to You and see myself as You see me. Help me Lord to do this always. Amen.
Jim Person Jim grew up in Alaska and from a small child commercial fished every summer with his family. God called him, his wife Tanya, and their four children to move to Hungary as missionaries in 2003. God then led him to join Ellel Ministries in 2005. After serving in various positions with Ellel in Central and Eastern Europe, God led them back to the United States, where he is now serving with the Ellel USA team. Jim and Tanya have a passion to see leaders restored, the church discipled and walking in God’s fullness of life and freedom. They also love mentoring the existing and developing Ellel teams wherever God leads them. Jim also has a real gift for working with the land to create a beautiful and welcoming environment.
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