Comparison Kills Confidence
A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.
Proverbs 14:30 NIV
Growing up, there were two Hannah L’s in my class (one of them was me, since my maiden name is Linn). But that other Hannah L, though... man, she was cool.
So sweet, so respectful, so soft-spoken (unlike me, the loudmouthed howler monkey). But also, Hannah L was a total beast at sports. Y’all don’t even know—that chick was the legendary one on the team. She had a physique like a legendary athlete, shot hoops like a legendary baller, and ran track like a legendary sprinter. On the other hand, little old me bee-bopped around like a cricket on crack and mainly competed because it was fun. But, if we’re being honest, it was fun because we won—like, all the time—largely thanks to Hannah L. Her presence made us winners too.
Unfortunately, girls like my friend Hannah L are easy targets for comparison. Flawed hearts see women like her through eyes of inferiority—brewing jealousy and killing confidence. And sadly, I see this happen among women within the body of Christ all the time.
In her book Not from God, Kaitlin Chappell Rogers illustrates the tie between comparison and jealousy perfectly:
Comparison and Jealousy are like twin sisters. Comparison tells you to put your life up against someone else’s, and Jealousy comes along and tells you to envy what they have. Comparison says you’re [not as cool] as her, and Jealousy tells you to pick her apart to make yourself feel better.
Because I love you, I’m going to give it to you straight:
Comparison shifts a God-focused heart to a self-centered heart. Comparison swings the pendulum from inspiration to subtle hatred. It blinds the truth, rots the soul, and drives people to do things like gossip, manipulate, and inflict harm upon others and themselves.
Overcoming comparison buys us a one-way ticket to Confidence City, USA—with Jesus as the pilot! He flies us straight to destinations of contentment, joy, and gratefulness. He reveals to us that if His goodness is for her, it’s for us too! When we love the Hannah L’s in our life like Jesus does, we always remain on the winning team.
God, give me eyes to see Your goodness in the women I admire. May it lead me to a fulfilled, confident life. Amen.
This is an excerpt from A Confidence That Changes Everything: Devotions to Shine Bright in This Topsy-Turvy Life, the new book by Hannah Crews!
