This Or That

Scripture: Luke 12:7

Have you ever had a day where you felt like you didn’t measure up? Maybe one of your friends just got noticed by their crush, or someone you know just made the team. But you? You feel like nobody notices you. It’s so easy to believe our value is based on what we achieve, what we earn, or what we get in comparison to others. But that’s not the way God sees us. He notices every detail about who we are. And not just that, He believes those details matter. They’re important. They’re where we find our value.  

When you start to feel less important in comparison to others, shift your focus to what God thinks and says about you. Let that be where you find your value.  

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4:4

It’s easy to get caught up in the cycle of trying to achieve something. Working hard to reach a goal or earn something important to you—there’s nothing wrong with that! But Solomon reminds us here that when it comes to achievement, we need to check our motivations. If any part of what we’re pursuing is motivated by jealousy or comparison—if we’re trying to achieve simply because we want to measure up to someone else—then we’ll never be satisfied. Is there an area of your life where you’re pursuing a goal or trying to achieve something? Pray that God will help you be motivated by the right things as you try to achieve it. 

Scripture: Philippians 2:3

Pride is tricky because it can cause us to compare ourselves to others—believing that we are, in fact, better than the people around us. But humility—not being proud or arrogant—is the answer to pride. It helps us remember who we are and who others are. It helps us see with God’s eyes. Putting others first is a great way to take the focus off of ourselves and instead, put it on others in a positive way. And one of the simplest ways to do that is by serving someone else. Doing something to serve someone else can go a long way in helping you practice humility. What’s one way you can serve someone in your life this week?  

Scripture: James 3:16

One of the most dangerous parts of comparison is the way it causes jealousy. What starts as a simple thought in your head about the way you compare to someone else can quickly become jealousy that, if you’re not careful, will cause separation and conflict in your relationship with that person. Simply put: Jealousy has the power to destroy relationships, and no one wants that! Is there a relationship in your life that causes you to feel jealous? A person you find yourself feeling jealous of often? Pray that God would help you see both yourself and the other person with His eyes, which can free you from feeling jealous.

Scripture: Proverbs 14:30

If you’ve ever suffered from an illness, then you know how difficult it can be on the body. It’s painful, affecting so many parts of your life and even can be difficult to defeat. Comparison can be a lot like that! Trying to measure up to someone else can cause a lot of pain, take over your life, and be very difficult to stop. But the good news is this: God hasn’t left us without a cure. A peaceful heart is the key to a healthy life—the cure for comparison. And the best way to help our hearts stay at peace is by filling them with God’s Word. 

Scripture: Galatians 6:4

Nothing seems to distract us as quickly as comparison. It takes our focus away from what God’s given us and moves it instead toward what God has given someone else. The result? We’re never happy with what we have. And that definitely doesn’t sound like a good way to live. Rather than let yourself be distracted by comparison, focus your attention on what God’s put in front of you. Look at what you have and who you are in Him and remember–that will always be enough. This week, ask a friend or Small Group Leader to help you stay focused on God’s gifts in your life. 

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

Memorizing verses from the Bible is a great way to keep God’s truth close to you. It allows you to not only know the truth in your mind but to have it in your heart—just like this verse says! Make an effort this week to memorize this verse. Write it down somewhere you will see it often, and when you see it, say it out loud to help you commit it to memory.  

Scripture: Psalms 147:5

We’ve all dealt with comparison before, and we’ll all deal with it again! That’s why it’s important to think about how we want to respond. If we allow ourselves to let the lies of comparison speak louder than the truth of God, the power of comparison wins. But if we lean instead on God’s power—if we believe His words about who we are—we’ll find the strength to overcome those lies. This week, write down a few things you love about how God made you. Ask a family member, close friend, or Small Group Leader for help. Come back to those things and celebrate them when you feel tempted to compare, letting the power of who God made you win over the lies of comparison.  

Scripture: 1 John 3:1

Have you ever thought about the way God sees you? Have you ever wondered who you are in His eyes? All of us have at some point! The good news is we don’t have to wonder long. God makes no secret of the way He feels about us. He not only tells us that He loves us, but that He calls us His children. We belong to Him. We are His. What a powerful truth to remember, knowing that because we are His, we will always measure up. Spend some time in prayer today, thanking God for letting you know how He sees you and how much He loves you. 

Scripture: Psalms 100:3

Take a look outside your window. God made each and every thing you see. Every blade of grass, every drop of rain, every tree growing tall, every flower in bloom, every person walking by on the sidewalk—every detail is a part of His creation. And just as He created and knows each one of those things, He created and knows you. In fact, He loves you, because you are His. You don’t have to let the way you compare to others define you; instead, you can be defined by God as His creation. Take time this week to get outside. Let the beauty you see in the world around you remind you of the beauty God put in you, too! 

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:17

When we believe that all we have is from God—achievements and abilities included—it changes the way we see the good things in our lives. Rather than celebrating what we have, we celebrate the One who gives it to us. And rather than focusing on what we don’t have, we appreciate the God who gives us all good things. That’s something to celebrate! This week, as you find yourself tempted to compare or complain, try instead to celebrate. Celebrate what God has given you and even what you see that He’s given others around you. Talk about this with a close friend or Small Group Leader, encouraging each other to celebrate all you have because of God.

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:9

Nothing can compare to the way God sees us. Everything we see in others and want for ourselves—every quality, every trait, every talent—none is as great as what God has already given us. He’s created us uniquely—special in our own way just the way we are. And when we know and believe who we are in Him, we don’t need to look elsewhere to try and measure up. He has not only told us who we are in Him, but also that it’s more than enough. Ask God to help you see yourself the way He sees you and celebrate the fact that in Him, you will always measure up.

Scripture: Colossians 3:17

So many of us work hard to become something, achieve something, or even change something about ourselves because we’re comparing who we are and where we are to someone else around us. And though working hard to achieve a goal or see a change in your life isn’t bad, it isn’t helpful when you’re doing it because of comparison. As this verse reminds us, the best motivation for positive things in our lives is God. If we make Him the reason for all we do—if we turn from comparison and choose God as our influence instead—we’ll find peace not just in where we’re going, but where we are. Pray that God would show you places in your life where you are working for others, not Him.

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

Find a creative way to commit this verse to memory this week! Put it to a song, create movements to go with each word, draw it in a unique way, or even come up with a contest to see who can memorize it first in your Small Group! Whatever you do, remember that your goal is to be able to remember this verse so that you have it there in your heart to remind you of what’s true! 

Scripture: Romans 15:7

In some ways, we all want to be accepted by others, don’t we? And if we don’t feel accepted by our friends, family members, teammates, or even the other kids at church, we start to wonder what’s wrong with us. We wonder why we don’t measure up. We think we’re not enough. When you feel this way, remind yourself of this truth: God accepts you exactly as you are. He isn’t asking you to be anyone other than who you are to fit in with Him. That’s the ultimate acceptance! So, the next time you struggle with feeling like you aren’t enough or accepted by others, pray that God will show you more of how He accepts you. 

Scripture: Matthew 25:29

Believe it or not, all of us have been given things by God—things that matter. Our gifts, our talents, our personalities, even our relationships are all really important things that God has given to us. And whether we realize it or not, what we do with those things matters. When we ignore, complain about, or waste what we have by comparing it to what someone else has, we’re not using what God has given us wisely. So rather than keep your eyes focused on what you don’t have, focus instead of using what you do have well. Share with someone in your life just one way you want to use what God has given to you.

Scripture: 1 Peter 4:10

What better way to celebrate what God has given you than by using those things to serve others? Using what we have to help or benefit someone else is a great way to stop ourselves from comparing and start celebrating instead. So, think about this: Who in your life is difficult to celebrate? Who do you struggle with comparing yourself to? This week, find a way to use something you have to serve them. As you do, pray that God would help you celebrate not only what you have, but the person you’re serving as well. Ask Him to change your heart from comparison to celebration!

Scripture: Romans 12:4-5

While our God-given gifts and talents are great on their own, they work even better alongside the gifts and talents of others. That’s the way God designed it to be! Comparison not only keeps us from fully being able to use and celebrate our own gifts, it keeps us from doing the same for others. It keeps us from serving, celebrating, and working as one body—the body of Christ. Rather than let your gifts or the gifts of others be wasted, find a way to celebrate the way your gifts fit and work together with someone else’s. To start, celebrate the gifts you see in others. Send a text, post on social media, or just tell someone you’re close to about a gift you see in them. 

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:8

We all want to do great things with our lives, but so often we hold back simply because we’re afraid we don’t have what it takes. Well, God says that we do! In fact, He says He’ll give us exactly what we need to do all the great things (and more!) that He’s called us to do. So we don’t have to worry or fear that we aren’t enough. Instead, we can rest in the knowledge that God has given and will continue to give us everything we need. Is there an area of your life where you feel this struggle? Ask God to show you all the things He’s given you that make you more than enough to do the great works He has for your life.  

Scripture: Philippians 1:6

Sometimes it can be difficult to trust that we really are enough. When things don’t go the way we thought they would, it can be easy to believe that we somehow don’t measure up. That God made a mistake in making us. That we don’t have what everyone else seems to have. In those moments, God asks us to stay confident, not in ourselves, but in Him. When our confidence is in Him, we can know for sure that there is no mistake, no need to compare, and no reason to worry that we don’t have what it takes. He is enough, and because of that, we can know that we are enough, too. Is there an area of your life where you’re struggling with confidence? Pray this verse about that part of your life, asking God to help you put your confidence in Him. 

Scripture: Proverbs 4:23

Memorized this verse already? Great work! Then now it’s time to share it with others. This week, find a unique way to put this truth out there for your friends, family, and followers to see. Post it on your social media, write it down somewhere in your home, or create a video of you sharing it from memory. Remember that as you share, you’re not only helping yourself focus on this truth, but you’re giving it to others so they can do the same.