A Happy New Year Indeed: Releasing Comparison and Doubt

Let's dive into God's word as we work to free ourselves from the trap of comparison, negativity, and self doubt this year.

We've all been there, we see the posting for the dream job or the FB post of another friend who's been successful in entrprenuership.

The thought comes almost instantly, "Why not me?!", and just like that the flame is lit, and you feverishly begin searching for what it would to take to get started. You research the requirements for the position, the investment and experience necessary, and before you know it you have 37 tabs open, hours have gone by, and the initial spark has turned into a flicker. You began googling other people who've done it - read about the entreprenuer that lived in his car for 3 months to save money to get his business off the ground or searched LinkedIn and saw that the person who is currently in the job went to Harvard. Self doubt rushes in like a flood, "What was I thinking?". You became overwhelmed because you went from research to comparison.

It happens to us from birth.

Does this chart look familiar? Right out of the womb our babies are weighed and measured and immediately placed on comparison graphs that show our babies in percentiles compared against all the other babies in the country. In school we are ranked academically, and socially there is an unspoken hierarchy that exists in just about every context that keeps us in a constant state of comparison.

This comparison leads us down the road of self doubt and unbelief and can completely kill your passions if you let it.

But what does God say about the doubtful things we say to ourselves?

I'm too young to do that...Jeremiah 1:7-10 (NIV)

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.

There is no age restriction on greatness, if God has put it in your heart and given you the drive and ability to do it nothing is impossible! There are countless examples of people defying the odds to achieve amazing things once thought unconceivable because of their age, from the whiz kids that go to college at 12 years old to the 77 year-old bodybuilder. Age ain't nothing but a number!

I might lose friends or they might not be happy for me... Ephesians 6:13-15 (NIV)

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes (insert your opposition here: haters, coworkers, frenemies, a horrible boss) you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Honey they crucified Jesus and he performed countless miracles, no matter what you do there will ALWAYS be someone who has an opinion or thought about what you are doing wrong or needs to be done better. The verses above give us the instruction to live in honesty and truth so that your "attackers" have no ground to stand on. Yes they may accuse you of wrongdoing and can/will speak badly about you but truth and righteousness will give you peace. Peace is not the absence of trouble but a steadiness within your soul like the still waters described in Psalm 23. The armor of Christ allows us to walk into any room without fear of judgment or comparison. When you stay ready you don't have to get ready!

But what if I fail? Ephesians 6:16 (NIV)

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

God tells us to have faith in pursuit of what we seek. When the flaming arrows of doubt, despair, and defeat come to take out your hopes and passions, faith allows us to stand strong in belief. Even when you don't see the full path ahead of you, faith is taking one step out of what's comfortable into what inspires you.

No matter how tough, strong, or accomplished you are there will always be a small voice of doubt telling you that it was a fluke or mistake, to turn around and run in the other direction, to let go of the dream and settle for good enough. In the words of the great Sister Mary Clarence, "If you wake up in the morning and the first thing you think about is writing you are supposed to be a writer, if you wake up and the first thing you think about is dancing you are supposed to be a dancer. Let your passions and God lead you, you are fearfully and wonderfully made and capable of more than you could ever imagine!

Take the leap.

Tiffany