Out Loud and On Purpose | Friday
Week 4 | “9 To 5”
Listen instead of reading
Take a Moment
Ask God what He wants to show you before reading today
Read The Daily
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:10)
If you’re a fan of infomercials like I am, then you know that right before they finish the final sales pitch, they say “But wait!…There’s More!” I want to share these two action steps that I’ve used to help me with my own comparison traps: celebrate and leverage.
Imagine that your co-worker gets a promotion. Before she’s even finished telling you her good news, insecurity is whispering that you must not have been good enough. And envy is reminding you of her fancy new title and pay raise. So how do you quiet these lies? You celebrate her out loud and on purpose. You speak words—even if they don’t match your thoughts—that applaud her. There’s something powerful and liberating about celebrating the success of other people. It’s like popping a balloon filled with all the insecurity and envy of comparison.
And then you should look for ways to leverage what God has given you. Like a recipe’s list of ingredients, God has given you talents and treasures in specific amounts for a reason. How can you put them to good use? Even if your house isn’t as big and fancy as your friend’s, how can you best use yours? Even if you’re not as eloquent as you’d like, can you still offer encouraging words to a friend? Celebrating what God has given others and leveraging what God has given you may not come naturally. But see for yourself if these two action steps aren’t an instant antidote to the comparison trap.
Prayer for the Day
God what are you showing me? What am I going to do about it?
God help me to see one person that I can serve through a kind word, random act of kindness, or simple gift today?
Make sure you complete the reading or comment today.
Read The New Testament In A Year
4 x 6 Plan | Read: Luke 7:1-7 & Titus 1:1-4