Give Yourself Grace When You Compare Yourself to Her

"Log Off to Start Living" by Toya PoplarJust as I thought I was becoming the woman I always hoped to be.I compared myself to her,And I started to dislike me. I loved my house, hair, and hobbies until I stumbled upon her life.Her house is bigger, her hair is cuter, and she's a better wife.After watching her, I felt that I was not enough. Those things that once came easily, Were starting to seem tough.Since when did all my favorite things,Turn into a fight?Getting dressed and decorating,Used to bring delight. "I am too fat and my house is too small."I thought inside my head.My sense of meaning has been lost,I might as well be dead.One day upon her perfect page, I read the perfect post. And before I could get jealous, The Holy Spirit spoke.He said, "The thief Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy."Be mindful not to compare yourself,It will corrupt your joy,We all will need each other,Because every joint supplies.The picture posted on her page,Was freedom from my lies.In that moment I recognized,My foe as a new friend. My fight is not with flesh and blood,My battle is within.Whenever I compare,I contemplate quitting.By His graceI now guard my gates, and logged off to start living.God created us to work together each with a unique purpose. If we abandon what we were created to do, the enemy uses us to work against each other.Comparison is a counterfeit form of creativity. The time we spend comparing ourselves is time we could spend encouraging others or creating. After all, isn't that what the people we compare ourselves to are doing?Social media comparisons have stolen more joy and time than I care to admit. I either start to idolize fellow creatives (that I admire) or exalt myself over others.Comparison makes us dislike the things that God loves about us. If we loathe the things that God loves, we won't do what He Has called us to do.One of the ways I've learned to give myself grace is by choosing to log off and start living. The joy of the Lord is my strength and creativity is my life's blood. If the enemy can get me to compare my gifts to others it stops the flow of creativity and hinders me from living a full life.God has always spoken to me in the morning. Over time, I subtly exchanged sacred time at His throne for idle time on my phone. When I chose to guard my mornings (no social media), God graced me to guard my heart, head, humility, and happiness. If you struggle with comparison, jealousy, or pride, will you join me in my quest to log off and start living?Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 (CEV) Read more from Toya Poplar at http://toyapoplar.com/.