There’s nothing quite like a perfectly ripened pear. Each creamy, sweet, citrusy bite contains the perfect texture and flavor to tantalize my taste buds. Pears are such a treat to me that I’ll sometimes splurge and order the gold wrapped, ridiculously priced ones from a trendy fruit supplier. When they arrive I horde them and refuse to share one bite. I can always justify this selfish behavior because my hubby is not a fan of pears and my kids don’t appreciate the quality.
One day I had just bitten into the most delectable pear ever when I received a phone call from a friend. I set the fruit aside to focus on the conversation. During the call my daughter tapped me on the shoulder and mouthed, “try these.” I absentmindedly took a handful of tropical flavored gummy bears from her bag and nibbled on them as I listened to my friend vent about a family situation. After our conversation ended, I retrieved my pear to enjoy the last few bites. But it wasn’t the same. The pear didn’t taste sweet, and the creamy citrus flavor I had always adored seemed lacking. Not wanting to waste the fruit, I managed to gulp the last few bites, but there was little pleasure in it. The sticky, artificial sweetness of the gummy bears had coated my tongue and robbed my senses of the true, natural sweetness of the pear.
I have found the same phenomena to be true when we compare ourselves with others. The sweet and unique gifts God gives to us never seem as pleasurable when we allow ourselves to fall into the trap of comparison. In our social media inundated world it’s easier than ever to venture down that slippery slope. Every day we scroll past dozens of posts depicting the peak experiences, precious moments, and noteworthy achievements of our closest and not-so-closest friends. Yes, most of us are aware that these highlight reels represent a tiny glimpse of a sometimes purposefully skewed reality. But it’s oh so easy to be sucked into the trap of using those distorted picture-perfect clips as a measuring stick to determine our own worth.
God recognizes our old nature propensity to play the comparison game. Scripture offers plenty of warnings against it, but even Christian writers aren’t exempt from the temptation to compare. In fact, we may be more susceptible. While waiting for our own victories in the publishing world social media allows us to celebrate with fellow writers who may get their big break first. Every day awards are won, contracts signed, and agents are landed. Even though we are truly happy for our friends’ success and show it by littering their wall with gifs, and emojis there’s still that temptation to subtly compare. Only when we keep our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith can we find true fulfillment in the gifts and journey He has created especially for us.
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:12, Galatians 6:4-5
Fun Fact: Michelle Medlock Adams and Bethany Jett have a new book out that has an excellent chapter on this topic. The book is titled Platinum Faith. And it is amazing! Check it out on Amazon.
Annette Marie Griffin is a award-winning writer who speaks at local women’s group meetings and women’s retreats on the topic of biblical womanhood and finding our identity in Christ. She is the Operations and Events Coordinator at a private school for special needs students and is the editor of their quarterly newsletter. She has written custom curriculum for women’s retreats and children’s church curriculum for Gateway Church in San Antonio, Texas where she served as Children’s Ministry Director and Family Program Director for over twenty years. She and her husband John have five amazing children and two adorable grands. She’s a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, SCBWI, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Creative Writing Institute.
We love helping your growing in your writing career.
No Comments