What Really Matters

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6.

What do you think about most of the time?

Do you compare yourself, your parenting, your home, your spouse, your children to others'? Or do you think about what is good, right, true, and beautiful about yourself, your parenting, your home, your spouse, and your children?

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. Galatians 6:4

If this is something with which you also struggle (you are not alone!), let's #learntodoitdifferently:

FIRST:

Take some quiet time and ask God to bring to your mind all the areas of your life where comparison is the strongest and write them down. This will help you identify where you find the sin of comparison stealing your joy. Include the names of specific people to whom the comparison is strongest. Remember, it starts with you, so if YOU are not aware that you are actually coveting your best friend's life, how can you expect to get freedom from that? Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Physical appearance ("I'm too thin, curvy, wrinkly, freckly, curly-haired, grey-haired....")

• Marriage ("Her husband is more loving than mine...or...At least she has a husband!")

• Parenting/children ("Why can't they just ___________ like so-and-so's children?")

• Your home ("It's not big enough, clean enough, organized enough, decorated enough....")

• Your job ("How does she work and homeschool and keep a neat home and I'm barely showered?")

• Spiritual gifts ("I wish I could sing, pray, cook, bake, lead like that!")

SECOND:

Look at each name and area where comparison is strongest. Remind yourself:

1. Just as YOU are a sinner in need of Jesus’s saving grace, that person needs Him daily as well.

2. Just because it seems like they have it "all" - looks, well-behaved children, a clean home, an attentive husband - they also could be crippled by comparison and the opinions of others just as much anyone.

Whether they are the "real deal" or not (and most people aren't REALLY as content as others think they are), please remind yourself of this truth:

EVEN IF you were blessed with copious amounts of money and time and physical attractiveness and optimal health and (insert your desire here), you STILL would not be as satisfied, free, or loved as you are when you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, the only Son of God!

THIRD:

Read and meditate on the verses in this article - or others you find while reading on your own that the Spirit brings to your mind - asking God to take the sin of comparison away from you and replace it with joy, contentment, and peace in Him alone! Discover how the spirit-led people of God focused on what really mattered - and the things they experienced when they didn't:

• Cain and Abel - Genesis 4:1-16

• Jacob and Esau – Genesis 25:19-34, 27:1-45

• Leah and Rachel – Genesis 29:15-35, 30:1-24

• Saul and David – 1 Samuel 15 – 31

• The older brother/prodigal son – Luke 15:11-32

In the world today there is SO MUCH confusion: Do masks really work? Is COVID really as bad as some say? Should I send my kids back to school or not? Can "love is love" really be that simple? Please know that our God is NOT a God of confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33) and He reveals absolute truths in the Bible that have lasting impact on our lives - but we need take time reading these truths for ourself!

Why not start right now?

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#ConnectPointMoms helps you create stronger relational connections with the children in your life. This starts with being aware of your own stuff so you can BE PRESENT with your children in the moment you're in, and then knowing and using the best ways to communicate with them.

For quick, helpful parenting videos, find "Kate Connects" on YouTube or join the Connect Point Moms Facebook group to find encouraging supportive moms struggling through it all together!

#ConnectionIsThePoint #LearnToDoItDifferently #ConnectionCreatesCooperation