One of my favorite quotes is “Comparison is the thief of joy” from Theodore Roosevelt.  I’ve reminded myself of this over and over again.  However, I’m beginning to think that quote doesn’t take it far enough.  What I’m discovering is that comparison is the thief of just about everything!  It certainly steals your joy, but it takes so much more.  It steals your gratitude and turns it into entitlement.  It steals your contentment and replaces it with jealousy.  It steals your hope and replaces it with doubt.  It steals your faith and replaces it with fear.  It steals excitement and replaces it with frustration.  It steals your confidence and replaces that with insecurity.  It steals your time and that can’t be replaced by anything.  It’s a thief, no doubt, and the list of what it wants to take from you is endless.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret.  There have been countless times that comparison has stolen from me, but most recently, I let it paralyze me for well over a year.  This is hard for me to type, even though I’ve told people this before.  When I advanced to Diamond, it was one of the biggest, most exciting times in my life.  Honestly, I still have a hard time believing that God has allowed me to be at this rank.  My team is amazing and it’s only because of them that I am here.  However, that advancement unleashed the comparison beast like you would not believe.  It’s not what you think either.  Once the shock wore off, I took a look at all the amazing other leaders that were Diamond at that time.. and I freaked smooth out.  I have tears in my eyes just remembering how I felt.  These leaders are just amazing and I felt so “ordinary”.  The most common thought I had was “God, you must have made a mistake here. Why me?”  On my bad days, I still have that thought.  Here’s the deal.  I was comparing their strengths to my weaknesses.  That will never be a fair comparison for anyone.  I don’t enjoy making videos and these ladies make phenomenal videos.  Public speaking is not my favorite and the ones I was comparing myself came alive on stage.  It energized them!  Events with lots of people are awesome, in small doses (and assuming I can pull a Houdini and vanish once I’ve had enough).  These women are the life of every party!  No matter how I looked at it, it just didn’t add up.  I didn’t add up.  It didn’t make sense why God would put me where He did.  So what did I do?  Nothing.  I did absolutely nothing. I mean, I posted on my team page.  I answered questions and I helped people.  However, I didn’t ask God “what am I here for?  Really, what do you want me to do for you? Let me be your hands and feet.”  I allowed myself to be completely defeated.  I can’t get that time back.

I no longer think it’s a mistake.  I realize my skill set is different.  I realize my “gifts” are different.  I realize that my personality is different.  I also now realize that is OKAY.  Better than that, I realize that is by His design.  He didn’t put me here to be just like everyone else.  His plan for me is totally original.  You know what?  His plan for YOU is totally original as well.  I have no idea what comparison might be stealing from you.  You might be single, but not okay with that… and watching all of your friends find the love of their lives.  You might be working your hardest at your business, only to find that it is moving at a snails pace and you feel like everyone else is skyrocketing through the ranks.  You might be longing to start your family, feeling as if your heart would break because you want it so bad… and it feels like everyone around you is having babies.  You might be in financial turmoil and you are watching your best friend have amazing financial success.  WHATEVER it is, realize that you are comparing your lows to their highs.  I assure you, they have their own heartaches that you know nothing about.  What I have learned to tell myself when I have these thoughts is that my journey is not a mistake.  I am not a mistake.  These things about myself that I might wish away just might be the thing that God wants to use for His glory.  It’s in our weakness that He is strong.  Instead of wishing circumstances away or asking God to give me what someone else has, I’m asking Him to just show up!  To move in my life, in my circumstances and to guide my feet.  Don’t let comparison steal one more thing from you, instead remember whose voice it is that you are hearing… Here’s a hint, he came to steal, kill and destroy.  Instead, turn your ear to the one that came to give you life more abundantly.  An abundant life… nothing can compare to that.