2 CORINTHIANS 10:12
Who are you comparing yourself to? Christ, who is the best measuring stick, or another imperfect human? If you’re comparing yourself to other people, then you might end up like this girl I know about. She attended a local church with her parents and was involved in the youth group. She was blessed with Christian parents. She compared herself to girls who did not act like Christians and wanted to be like them. But her parents were very strict when it came to those things. This was torture for her because she wanted to be like all the “normal” girls. She ran away from home, rejecting her parent’s instruction and grieving the heart of God because she chose to measure herself by the people around her. Another teen girl attends the same church, is homeschooled by parents who hold to the same standards, and is involved in the youth group, but she uses her time to encourage nursing-home patients or to assist young mothers with their little ones. She walks with the Lord, trying to please Him in everything she does. So much contrast: The second girl enjoys and embraces the same convictions the first girl felt were restrictions because she compares herself to Christ rather than the people around her.
Carrie Lewis, 14, home school with tutorial, Clemson, SC
God, I realize that I’m judging myself by the standards
of the world rather than Your standards. Today, when I start
to compare myself with some girl at school, help me
to replace those thoughts with thoughts of You.