The Thief of Joy

March 26, 2021

“It is dangerous to be concerned with what other people think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.” Proverbs 29:25 GNT

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” That quote bears even more weight when you realize he was an American statesman, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer, who served as the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. It looks like he succeeded on all fronts, so it’s hard to imagine him coming out short in the game.

Comparison is an ugly game that we all have played. To be truthful, most of us play it daily at some point. Envy and inferiority are usually the result. Sometimes the comparison game leads to superiority and pride. It can encourage or discourage you. But either way, it eventually leaves you feeling depleted and bad. Comparison is not fun except at best momentarily, and God is never a fan of it.

Social media makes it worse. With Instagram, Fleets, Facebook, Twitter, and the ever-multiplying ways to present yourself, we know what everyone is doing—under the filter of what they want us to know. It’s easy to scroll, compare, be hurt, and have our bad feelings grow with every swipe. That leads to the next downward spiral. “I’m not enough. I’m not __________ enough.”

Comparison will enable that blank to be filled with anything. Whatever you suspect that someone else is doing well and you are not goes in the blank, and your use to God and the world diminishes because you have taken yourself out of the game. God believes in you, but you have benched yourself. The comparison thief has stolen your joy and your usefulness.

Wise Solomon says it is dangerous to be concerned with what other people think of you. Like a runner running a race, you can’t afford to keep looking over your shoulder to see how you are doing in comparison to the other runners. It makes the runner liable to tripping, losing seconds on the clock, and numerous other troubles. We must just run the race. It is dangerous to get too occupied with what others think or do. He says our safety is in trusting the Lord. He is the One who knows us inside and out, values us, and will keep us safe.

• Who or whose opinion has been distracting you from running your race?
• Where or why are you afraid to be yourself?
• Where do you think you are not enough?
• How can you maximize your trust in the Lord?
• Pray: Lord, I want to trust in You and have no fear of or distraction from people. Help me know how to consistently fix my focus and determine with Your help to know that You make me enough for anything You call me to do. Amen.