I am getting completely carried away with internet blogs these days. I'm reading these blogs and looking at pictures of people I don't know anything about. I just found a link to a new one. This girl is beautiful, her husband looks like Ashton Kutcher (trucker hat and all), kids are cuties, she wears the coolest, funkiest clothes . . . I could go on, but I won't.
As I'm browsing her blog, my heart turns really ugly. I want to find at least one fault with her and this perfect looking family. Does she not love the Lord? Does she feed her kids unhealthy food? Does she make bad parenting choices? Seriously, I'm pouring over her blog entries trying to find something wrong with her.
I don't.
Instead I find out that they love Jesus and she has weekly posts that are encouraging and beautiful and real.
She even has this post about comparing yourself to others. Read it here.
Ouch.
She writes:
"Our responsibility (as salt) is to make men & women thirsty (for God) because of our lives."
Are you making people thirsty?
Or are you threatened? Jealous?
Yucky heart stuff here.
Obedience is tough.
I am apparently threatened and jealous or I wouldn't be looking for flaws in people all the time.
Lord, I just ask that you would help me to love people for who they are and to not want to compare and make sure that I'm doing better than they are. That is so gross and ugly. Please change that part of me. Help me to celebrate others' successes and to help love them through their tough times. I desperately need to be more like you and less like me . . . because just me without you is not a pretty sight.
And thank you for loving me as I am and for being proud of me and encouraging me. You're so good to me and I am so thankful that you gently speak and correct your children . . . that you don't abandon us when we're not at our best.
Much love,
amanda
And thank you for loving me as I am and for being proud of me and encouraging me. You're so good to me and I am so thankful that you gently speak and correct your children . . . that you don't abandon us when we're not at our best.
Much love,
amanda
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI just want to say that I understand! I really hadn't thought much about this until recently. It was sort of an "aha" moment when I realized that God didn't want me to compare myself BECAUSE a. the evaluation of myself gives power to others God hasn't given them. b. My heart forgets about God's grace and the truth about my own state of affairs. Yep! I'm a mess. That's a settled issue. But, because of Grace, I'm loved as I am in this moment. And the change He is making in me is the change HE is making in me....for that I can't take the credit. And that results in so much FREEDOM to be good in my own skin....which is in a constant state of change as I am transformed and conformed to HIS image.
We all want to feel like we are doing ok. WE ARE! Thank you Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just can't end this without saying how wonderful I think you are!
Patty
Our pastor often quotes Kim Clement in saying that God sees us in the future where we look better than we do today. Doesn't that give us all hope!!!
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