I sat down with my coffee and phone and opened the Instagram app. Immediately, as I scrolled, discouragement set in. Look how well she wrote that devotion. Wow, her video is so professional. My favorite blog accepted her work. Then the lies poured in. “You are not good enough.” “Who do you think you are, that you could actually encourage women in their walk with the Lord?” “You will never be a published author.”

Has this happened to you? The comparison game. It is definitely not a fun game. It is a torturous game that brings no good to anyone. You may not feel called to ministry, but I am sure that as you scroll, some insecurity becomes exposed. Maybe you don’t like the home you live in or the car you drive. Perhaps you do not like what you see when you look in the mirror or step on the scale. Do you covet the clothes you see others wearing as you scroll through social media? Or maybe you are jealous of how secure and outgoing that co-worker is as she posts her pictures.

Comparison is just one of many methods the enemy uses to distract us from the purpose we are designed for.

Whatever you struggle with when comparing yourself, it is not healthy or helpful. Nothing good comes from coveting what others have. Jesus reminds us of this in Luke 12:15, “And He said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

God provides us with all we need. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

When we have a roof over our head and food on our table, we are abundantly blessed. That new outfit, car, or more updated house may be nice, but it is not a necessity.

As you compare your looks to others, remember Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Did you catch that? You are an image bearer of God. Let that sink in. When you look in the mirror, you bear God’s image.  You have been designed as a unique person, with a purpose only you can fulfill. As you become a Christian, you are a host to the Holy Spirit; God’s Spirit lives inside of you. Do not minimize that.

As thoughts of comparison start to creep in, remember that you have God’s Spirit within you. Wow, what an honor! When I truly reflect on it, I am humbled. Don’t allow the enemy to make you feel less than God created you to be.

Take some time to write down all the things God has blessed you with. Then, when the comparison thoughts begin to take over, read over them to remind yourself of the truth.

What have you coveted recently? Who have you compared yourself to? What is the truth?

I am driving to my next errand, and it happens again. Those awful memories come flooding back just as if you were watching a movie flashback. You know the ones. The ones that you wish you could have erased. The ones you have prayed God would take away. But He didn’t.

We don’t know why God allows some things to happen. Job is a book in the Bible that many Christians, for the last couple of thousand years, have pondered and struggled to understand for that exact reason. This is when our trust in God comes in. Proverbs 3:5-6 says it perfectly. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

When we don’t understand, we can trust God. Why? Because we know He is faithful. Not only do we have an entire book that testifies to God’s faithfulness, but when we look back on our own lives, we can also see this to be true. Do you keep a journal? I highly recommend that you do. Write when the times are difficult, and then what God does in response. Then, when the next storm comes, and it will, you can look back at His faithfulness.

In the meantime, when those awful memories of your past sin and thoughts creep up that want to keep you in bondage to your shame arise, take them captive and make them obedient to God’s truth (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Shame is a weapon Satan uses to prevent us from becoming who God created us to be.

Don’t allow Him to have any footholds over your life. He who is in you is greater than Satan (1 John 4:4).

Paul struggled with something that he called a ‘thorn in the flesh’. He prayed for God to take away three times. God’s response? “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

I don’t know what your ‘thorn’ is, but I do know that God can use it for His good. How? Do you know someone else struggling with something similar that you can encourage? As we endure all the yuck we have been through, and then, because of our compassion and empathy, help others, God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. We can boast in how great our God is because there is no way we can do it in our strength.

• So, the next time those thoughts and memories creep up, remember God is bigger than that sin and shame.

• If you have asked, He has forgiven you.

• You are not that person anymore.

• You are a new creation in Christ. As you heal, help others who are struggling as you did.

 Then Satan has no hold on you anymore, and that yuck can be used for something amazing.

Have you ever prayed for something for so long that you thought your answer was a no from God? Well, after years of prayer, God finally answered with a yes to a specific prayer of mine.

Years ago, the Lord gave me a strong conviction to write a book and speak for Him and about Him, reaching women and teens. For many years, I was disobedient. During that time, I prayed about attending She Speaks. It is a conference through Proverbs 31 to help equip women who desire to serve the Lord in speaking, writing books, Bible Studies, teaching, podcasting, ok all the things….  In my head, I needed this to start obeying.

Well, year after year, the cost or timing prevented me from attending. So, I finally stepped out in faith, obeying by using what God had already equipped me with, one little step at a time. I felt overwhelmed some days, my insecurities would surface, and try to overtake me.  I would try my best and take each thought captive and make it obedient to Christ’s truth (1 Corinthians 10:5). This is how the Hot Mess Sisters in Christ social media platform was born. My sister and I said yes. Yet, God continued to tell me this was not enough. This was not all that I was supposed to be doing. I was still being disobedient.

This past year, I began taking classes through Compel Pro Writers Training so that I could be better equipped for ministry. And I finally stepped out in faith to begin writing my book, even though I still did not feel confident. Do you know what happened? God answered my prayer, the prayer I had been praying for about ten years, and He made a way for me to attend She Speaks.

Sometimes, God is waiting for our obedience before He answers our prayers. We need to show Him that we completely trust Him, then He will make the mountains move.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” Psalm 37:5

What do you need to trust God with today? What are you not doing in obedience due to fear or lack of trust? God is more than capable, willing, and able to act. He requires your obedience and trust in Him. Then God will make your mountains move. What is holding you back today?

Have you ever had a day planned, but then something happened and everything changed? Disruptions to our lives are usually never welcome.

Yesterday, a huge disruption occurred for me. I had my day completely planned. I was going to relax, clean, and pack for my upcoming trip to Charlotte, North Carolina. I cannot express the excitement as I thought about attending the She Speaks Conference through Proverbs 31. I was pondering all the amazing teaching I will hear that will better equip me to minister to women who are hurting, seeking, and lonely, as I packed. Then, I saw my passport. Yikes! It expired this past January. I had sworn it was good until the end of the year.  The realization that I would be unable to fly without my passport or Real ID dawned on me. I quickly conducted some research, grabbed all the required documents, and rushed to the DMV closest to me. Upon my arrival, I realized the location only mailed the ID. Since I needed it that day, a quick Google search told me the closest facility for a same-day Real ID was an hour and a half away. I set out for the new location, praying as my anxiety went from one to one hundred. Seeds of doubt began running through my head. “There is no way you are getting your ID today. You aren’t going to the conference.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 ran through my head, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

On arrival, the line was out the door. The employee who screened the documents struck fear into me as he said that they may not accept my marriage certificate as a change of name document. I sat for three hours waiting. Praying. And reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis to pass the time and distract my mind. As I sat there, I tried to be thankful for the time to read, that I realized my mistake in time, and other praises throughout the day. The Lord even presented the opportunity to assist a Hispanic man with his license application. As someone who has lived in another country, I know too well the anxiety of reading and understanding another language. Finally, it was my turn. Praise God, I had the proper documents (that employee scared me for no reason), and I walked out with my ID.

Unfortunately, we can be certain that disruptions will occur, and when they do, we have a responsibility as to how we will respond. My anxiety was through the roof. I prayed through it, and because of that, I was able to look outside of my situation and be used by God to help another. My response was a result of my relationship with the Lord that I have nurtured throughout the years. Even though I still struggled with anxiety, without my faith, I would have been much worse. I had a foundation greater than myself to stand on.

How about you? When disruptions occur in your life, how do you respond? Share your story to encourage others.

What happened? What went wrong? My life has been amazing, everything was lined up in place, and all my hard work was paying off. All of my plans are now coming to fruition, and now this! Now all my work is ruined! Someone else has my job and is sitting in my office!

               Ok, let’s take a step back. We have all had times in our lives that we can relate to this. Why do you think everything can sometimes go wrong after lots of planning and hard work? Let us look at a common word that appears often in that first paragraph. My. Besides it sounding a bit like a pity party or a tantrum, as we peer deeper, what does it look like the underlying problem may be? Pride.

               We have all been there. We give all the credit to ourselves and none to whom it should go. In 1 Corinthians 10:31, we learn that everything we do should be for the glory of God, not ourselves. Colossians 3:23-24 reminds us that all we do should be as we are working for the Lord and not man, and that our reward is not here. More Scriptures speak on this, but you get the point. It is not about us; it is all about God. God is the one who provides all our needs and directs our paths. When we forget that and make it all about us, we get into trouble.

               King Nebuchadnezzar learns this the hard way in the book of Daniel. In the first three chapters of Daniel, the King is witness to the amazing power and glory of the one true God. Then, in chapter five, he is warned that his pride would get him into trouble. Well, his memory, just like ours, can be sometimes short. Within a year, he forgets the warning from God through Daniel and is extremely prideful, saying in verse 30, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” While the words were still in his mouth, God spoke and told him the prophecy would now come true.  He will face consequences for his pride as he becomes like a beast eating grass like an ox in the wild until he turns from his sin and acknowledges and gives honor and glory to the one true God, instead of worshipping himself.

               None of us is better than King Nebuchadnezzar. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. Our sin has consequences, too. How long will it take for us to confess our sin and turn back to God for forgiveness? For many of us, it does not take seven years to come to our senses as Nebuchadnezzar. But maybe for some of us, we are so prideful or prisoners to our sin, like the King, it does. Whatever sin you are struggling with, God is waiting for you to turn to Him. He is waiting with open arms to help you and forgive you. You have to take the first step. Will you let pride deter you from the relationship we so desperately need with our Heavenly Father? It is not too late. His mercies are new every morning; do not put it off another day. If you are struggling and need prayer, encouragement, or just an ear that will listen, please don’t hesitate to reach out.