Despite our best efforts, our circumstances are not always good or as we would like them to be. To compare ourselves to others, however, can make matters worse. To compare means: to look at two or more things closely in order to see what is similar or different about them or to decide which one is better: to be as good or as bad as something else.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” In comparing ourselves to others, we will usually come up short because we tend to be harder on ourselves than what’s fair. Likewise, one of the fastest ways of becoming discouraged and getting caught up in the sin of envy is by comparing yourself to others. To do this, however, you are only shortchanging yourself.

We might think the grass is greener on the other side by saying and believing that something is wrong with our lives or that we want to be somebody else or have someone else’s life. But the deception, in comparing ourselves to others, is that we really don’t know what somebody else’s life is like — their fears, their insecurities or what they deal with on a daily basis.

Dr. Harold G. Coffin, Creationist, said, “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” Therefore, count your own blessings — not the blessings of others. To compare everything you know about yourself to what you think or perceive about someone else will only result in discouragement. Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” With that said, purpose to be yourself. Tend to your own life and be grateful for what you have, and you will be more satisfied.

Just a Thought,

PSS

We all have choices in our lives; some are good and others aren’t. But when we choose to give up responsibility and control, it is usually because we are blaming negative circumstances for our place in life. This mindset of self-pity is an excessive, self-absorbed unhappiness over one’s own troubles. This mentality says, “Woe is me,” and cries foul at every turn. As a consequence, you see yourself as a victim who has done no wrong, believing everything is against you and everyone else is to blame.

When you are unwilling to take responsibility for your decisions, you will never be able to grow or move forward in life. It’s amazing how self-absorbed our society has become as a result of this behavior pattern. Not only is this unproductive, but also very destructive. On the other hand, many others have overcome who also had to deal with negative circumstances. The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is their attitude and resolve to make good choices — resisting self-pity.

You might say, “Well, you don’t know what has happened to me or what someone has done to me.” Although that may be true, with God’s help, you can choose to move forward and overcome. If you want to see better results in life, quit complaining and blaming others for your circumstances. Otherwise, you will never discover the answers or the solutions to your issues. Therefore, choose to move forward —not by blaming nor by complaining, but by being grateful and learning to forgive (see Zechariah 4:6-7).

Just a Thought,

PSS

As Christians, we are called by God, in His Word, to be a servant. A servant is a person who is devoted to, or guided by, something; one who serves others. In the same manner, we are guided by the Word of God to serve God by serving others. In doing so, we are examples to those we serve. In fact, Jesus said, “The greatest among you must be a servant” (Matthew 23:11 NIV). In order to honor God, we must develop a servant’s heart — one who understands the significance of serving others in the church.

Every believer must lead by serving. In 1 Corinthians 10:23 NIV, the Bible says, “ ‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say — but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’ — but not everything is constructive.” In other words, not everything we have the “right” to do is for the benefit of others. Accordingly, a servant is one who makes sacrifices in their life by placing the interests of others above their own. If we only live for ourselves, we might cause others to stumble.

As we serve others, we must be careful to speak and behave in a godly manner. We were not created to please ourselves, but to help others find Christ and become a true disciple. Our greatest example is Jesus Himself — He became the Servant of all. Not preferring Himself, He became obedient unto death that He might serve us by giving us salvation (see Philippians 2:1-11). Thank God.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Our perspective is how we see life; it’s an evaluation of a situation or facts — especially from one person’s point of view. For instance, how I see a problem or situation, and my evaluation of it, will be different from your evaluation of the same problem. Sadly, however, so many only see the problem and what is wrong, rather than the solution or the possibilities.

Furthermore, in our society and our culture, we are taught to be the victim. A victim can only see the problem, or what is wrong, and they believe it is somebody else’s fault. As a consequence, victims don’t take responsibility for their lives, and they develop an attitude and perspective of helplessness. The issue with this is that they can never see the role their issues play in the problems they face.

Depending on our perspective, however, we can only see half the picture, so perspective is something we should want to see clearly. We must understand that we will all face problems at some point in our lives. For some, it will cause us to begin to seek God through prayer like never before. Once these problems do come, however, our perspective will determine what we believe and whether we will have victory.

Circumstances and problems will test our faith, so we must view our problems from God’s perspective. Understand that every detail of your life will work out for your good, if you love the Lord and obey His Word. You might ask, “How can that be?” The answer — because God said it would. No matter what you face, God is the answer, and you must believe it will work out for your good (Romans 8:28). 

Just a Thought,

PSS

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the movie Back to the Future. I’m certain that every one of us has said or done things, or made decisions, that are later regretted. The problem, however, is that we can’t ever go back in time to do those things over. To clarify, regret is: wishing you had done things differently in your past; a feeling of remorse, often accompanied by sadness, shame, and guilt.

Some things we can get over quickly, but other things may not be as easy. We will all have those moments we wish we could take back, and there are some regrets in life that are so painful that they are very difficult to get over. As a consequence, a broken record of our regrets and shortcomings plays over and over again in our minds. Regret is so debilitating, so destructive, it causes us to get stuck in life.

We must look ahead and realize that the only way to get over regret is to know God’s forgiveness and his ability to redeem us — to turn around, for our good, the things that were intended for evil. Without God, some regrets will be impossible to overcome, which is why we have the promises of God to forgive and heal the brokenness in our lives.

Regret can be avoided altogether if we purpose to live our lives according to God’s plan — “…Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” — Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)

Just a Thought,

PSS