In His Sight

This article was published in the More to Life Magazine, January edition. I was so thrilled!

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy. “Well said, Mr Roosevelt. I know this to be true.

How many times have I looked at another woman and thought…

I would love to have her hair…

I cannot speak as well as her…

I wish I was as fit as her…

It really boils down to this—I’m telling myself that I don’t like who I am, and therefore who God made me to be. At times I dare to ponder, will I stand before Jesus someday and say, “I wish you had made me different”? I don’t think so, or at least I very much hope that I would not. His written word says that He has created me to be fearfully and wonderfully made. Would I be able to say to Jesus, “But, You didn’t make me the way I desired”? Ouch. Perhaps I should have asked for more humility instead.

I can only imagine His whisper in return. “But, I made you like Me…”

I don’t know about you, but that makes my heart ache. As a mother who is pained by my own failings in the eyes of my children, it would seem nearly impossible to bear should that judgement come from one whom I had made, piece by piece, to be what I deemed perfect. It’s time we started seeing ourselves the way He sees us. Psalms 139:17-18 tells me that His thoughts of me are precious and they outnumber the sand. In other words, we are perfect in His sight.

Yet every time I compare myself to someone else, it’s either because I believe them to have attributes that I don’t or, perhaps even worse, I believe myself to be better than them.

Comparison can take an ugly turn into envy or pride. These two terms are used together in the book of Mark, and neither result is pretty.

Covetous deeds and wickedness, deceit and sensuality, envy and slander, pride and foolishness. “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7:22-23

The footnote in my Bible says that an evil action begins with a thought.

One thought. One single thought can start my mind tumbling down a path that is both dark and difficult to stop. Instead, Paul advises us, “Finally, brothers (and sisters) whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Paul tells me what to think about in place of those things that would lead me to defile myself and, quite frankly, those around me as well.

I am beautiful in Your sight, Lord…

Thank you for how You have gifted me…

I can just hear some of you right now. “But how do we do that? Clearly it is much easier said than done!” And you would be right. It’s not easy. It has to be a discipline that begins with recognizing the thought you are having is not one that Jesus would be having; then secondly, change that thought to one that is lovely—one that He would have.

If we compare ourselves to anyone—let it be Jesus, who is perfect in every way…