You can not move forward in relationships, in ministry, in faith, if you are living a life of imitation.
Dictionary.com defines imitation as a thing intended to simulate or copy something else. Like cereal, for instance. I love Peanut Butter Captain Crunch. It is my all-time favorite cereal, but I’m a cheap grocery shopper, so I tried my luck with an imitation crunch from Aldi.
It was not my finest moment, but when shopping for a family of five, you do what you have to sometimes. I bought the imitation once and never again. It may have looked the same and made the same crunchy sound when chowing down, but the taste was no comparison. There is only so much a counterfeit can do, when you get to the very root of it, it reveals the truth.
The same is true of us. I spent a lot of years comparing myself and even my faith life to other people. This person seemed to have it all together in their family life, so I would imitate them.
Or that person seemed to kill it in ministry, so I’d shift to what they were doing, acting, and how they were succeeding. Perhaps for you it’s all about looks or trends. You imitate your social peeps that seem to have it all together. Or worse, you compare yourself into a depression based on what appears to be true with no actual basis of truth.
Like my cereal, it may appear good on the outside, but once you go a little deeper, you may find it’s not all that it seems. Maybe you want to be just like Susie, but you have no idea what it took for Susie to get where she’s at. Are you willing to walk the same path?
Oh and let’s not forget blogging Becky. She may appear wonderful to the world, but inside she’s broken and in need of rescuing.
Friend, comparison is not what God intended for you, for me, or for her. Comparison causes many issues, including jealousy and envy. But more than anything, comparison causes complacency.
Think back through scripture, how comparison robbed people of their promises, power, relationships, and more. Saul and David (1 Samuel), Cain and Abel (Genesis 4), Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25-27) Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29-30), and the prodigal son and his older brother (Luke 15).
Our struggle to compare ourselves makes us an imitation. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be an imitation; I want to be the real deal. I have no desire to be a counterfeit author, mother, wife, speaker, or daughter. God created me on purpose and with my very own purpose (Ephesians 2:10).
Comparison to those around us will always keep us bound to where we are right now.
You can not move forward in relationships, in ministry, in faith, or etc. if you are living a life of imitation. Imitation reveals the truth, eventually. Your faith, your relationship, your ministry will be tested and revealed. When it is, will you flourish, or will you fail?
Scripture reminds us if we are going to imitate someone to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1-2). If we live a life spent chasing Him and His will for our life, we will flourish and there is no need for comparison.
Are you ready to walk in the goodness, the promises, the faithfulness, and the right relationships God has for you? Forget comparison and walk in the beautiful truth of who YOU are (Psalm 139:13-14).
Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as (committed) believers. Examine yourselves (not me)! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves (by an ongoing experience) that Jesus Christ is in you — unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit? (2 Corinthians 13:5 AMP).
_____
Cassie Downs, formerly of the Ellsinore area, is a speaker, author of Chasing Jesus, a 60 day devotional, and founder of Everyday Jesus Ministry. Connect with Cassie on Facebook, Instagram.
Posting a comment requires free registration:
- If you already have an account, follow this link to login
- Otherwise, follow this link to register