comparisons...

ever since we finished up the e-100 series, i've been up in the air about what to read next..so after bouncing around a bit, i ended up in romans this week and a particular verse really stood out at me.

in romans 9 paul says "should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”

after thinking about this it occurred to me that christmas is a time of comparisons.. we compare stuff that our neighbors and friends have (or are getting) with what we have (or would like to get). we go to holiday parties and compare what we look like with each other...and we even compare personalities..introverts that look at people and say, "i wish i could be more outspoken in a group of people"; extroverts that say, "i wish i could just tone it down and just sit quietly somewhere."

when i was growing up and getting more involved in music, i had to start auditioning for things..which can be brutal for a teenage girls' confidence level...but i remember my mom telling me that there was always going to be someone out there who was better at it than me and someone who was worse...but when i compared myself with myself, that's where i'd see real growth.

our God didn't create us to all be the same and do the same things and have the same things. if He'd wanted that, He would've created a clone army... but He didn't...He created each and everyone of us to be different and uniquely gifted in different ways!

each and every one of us has been "fearfully and wonderfully made"..we use that verse all the time talking about babies, but do we ever use that verse with adults?!

the whole point of our existence is to give glory to God-to put a spotlight on Him and what He's done. one of the best ways to do that-to praise Him, to honor Him, is to embrace who YOU'VE been created to be! not who your neighbor's been created to be...YOU!

so instead of comparing ourselves with each other, let's compare ourselves with ourselves....and let's look at where the real growth happens...let's allow the Potter to smooth out our rough edges and give us our purpose..

from psalm 16
"Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
   you make my lot secure.
 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   surely I have a delightful inheritance.
 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; "