“That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.” Galatians 5:26
from Eugene Peterson’s devotional book, Living the Message, this one felt so true to places I struggle to trust God:
We are always vulnerable to self-doubt. Am I worth anything at all? Does anyone care if I really exist? If I disappeared tomorrow, how long would it take before everything was normal? A week, a month, a year? We try in various ways to become indispensable to people around us so that we can have our significance verified, but our efforts are unconvincing.
We cannot experience freedom when we live that way. A feeling of inadequacy is enslaving. No matter how free we are told that we are, if we don’t think we are worth anything, we will not be motivated to express our strengths, will not be confident in developing our gifts, will not feel up to enjoying the blessings of the day.
“That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.” Galatians 5:26
For reflection:
Read this verse several times throughout the day. Ask God to show you how you are an “original.” Pay attention to when you are comparing yourself favorably or unfavorably to someone else. Confess this sin habit to God and ask him to remind you of your uniqueness, originality, and the particular mission he has written into your life.
