Don't Compare!

May 25, 2014

Do Your Work Well, and Don’t Compare by Rick Warren “Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of.  But don’t compare yourself with others.” (Galatians 6:4 CEV) Satan will try to steal your joy of service in two ways: by tempting you to compare your ministry with others and by tempting you to conform your ministry to the expectations of others. Both are deadly traps that will distract you from serving in the ways God intended. The Bible warns us never to compare ourselves with others: “Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others” (Galatians 6:4 CEV). There are two reasons why you should never compare your SHAPE, your ministry, or the results of your ministry with anyone else: First, you will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you, and you will become discouraged. Second, you will always be able to find someone who doesn’t seem as effective as you and you will become full of pride. Either attitude will take you out of service and rob you of your joy. Paul said it is foolish to compare ourselves with others. He said, “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12 NIV). The Message paraphrase says, “In all this comparing and grading and competing, they quite miss the point” (2 Corinthians 10:12b). You will find that people who do not understand your shape for ministry will criticize you and try to get you to conform to what they think you should be doing. Ignore them! Paul often had to deal with critics who misunderstood and maligned his service. His response was always the same: Avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God’s commendation. One of the reasons Paul was used so greatly by God was that he refused to be distracted by criticism or by comparing his ministry with others or by being drawn into fruitless debates about his ministry. John Bunyan, the author of “Pilgrims Progress,” said, “If my life is fruitless, it doesn’t matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn’t matter who criticizes me.”

Better to be Marked

trying to remember this!! 

I absolutely love this phrase . . . it is better to be MARKED by God than to be MARKETED by man! Today, you need to know that YOU are marked by God to do great things. And when God marks you, everyone else can get it wrong but HE will exalt you in due season. Remember, God opens doors that no man can shut! "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."(Revelation 3:8, NKJV)

One Word at a Time

I so need this today! Help me to rest in you Daddy!  One word and one song at a time

Sometimes we have a huge task before us that seems impossible, but I have good news! We just need to start with step ONE!  I have found that if we break our challenge down into small, bite-size pieces, we are less likely to be daunted by the magnitude of the thing that is before us. If you are trying to lose 10 pounds, don’t try to lose it all in one day. Start with ONE pound. ONE pound is easier to tackle than 10! Maybe you want to write a book . . . start with the first word. This will lead to the first sentence, which leads to the first page, which will lead to the first chapter. Don't try to bite off all 50,000 words in one sitting. Start with one word.

I Will Not Be Afraid

i do not want to be afraid... help me to embrace you with open arms!

Have you ever . . . Put something off that was in your heart to do because you were afraid to fail? OR Felt you were not good enough, talented enough or gifted enough to succeed? I want to give you that extra push to TRUST God with whatever fear is holding you back from today! Trust God, learn to do it afraid and get back up if you fail. Friend, failure is NOT FINAL! If God has called you to something, then He will give you everything you need to succeed! And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8, NKJV)

Equip-God Can Use Anyone

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This Season

I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1, To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven . . . (NKJV). Maybe you are in a season you have prayed for and dreamed of for a long time! Or maybe you spend the majority of your time wishing you were in a different season. Perhaps you are frustrated because you are trying to do the right thing – the very thing that God has called you to do – in the wrong season!  I want to encourage you today to take some time and evaluate where you are. I have found that if we will simply do what we are supposed to do in the season that we are actually in, then God will bring the increase! So take the pressure off yourself. Do what you can, when you can, where you are, and then God will do what only He can do!