Have a Comparison-Free ChristmasНамуна

Remember the Instagram picture that spiraled me into comparison? I hadn't caught who posted it. I started comparing without looking to see the name of this "perfect Christmas" mom. Hours later, I noticed. She was a friend spending Christmas alone for the first time since her divorce. Her children would only be with her one night. They'd spend Christmas Day with their dad. 

None of that backstory could be found in the caption. It didn't read, "I feel lonely, so I'm putting my energy into making things perfect." Or, "Divorce is painful. I want our celebration to be beautiful because the family part will feel messy." 

The picture made me believe she had a perfect life. But, the image didn't tell the whole story. 

Comparison tricks us into sizing others up without stopping to understand the whole story. Instead, we see others' lives and respond by adding more to our mental to-do lists, hoping to keep up.

In the Bible, there's a story of a man who also struggled with sizing others up. His name is Asaph, he was part of the king's inner circle. In Psalm 73, he looks out his window and compares his life to the lives of everyone around him. He assesses that everybody has it better than he does. In verse 4, he laments, "They have no struggles . . ." 

Have you felt this way after scrolling? I sure have!

But in verse 17, Asaph shows how he defeated comparison. He turned to worship.

The second way to kick comparison this Christmas is to trade scrolling and striving for real strength. 

Sure, there's a sense of empowerment that comes with checking everything off your to-do list. But after the buzz, exhaustion sets in. Energy plummets.

When we trade scrolling and striving for worship, something incredible happens. We find a new kind of strength. This strength helps us not just endure but enjoy the season. Nehemiah 8:10 tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Psalms 46 reminds us that God is our refuge and our strength. 

There are many ways to add more worship to your routine. Play worship music as you run errands or clean. Move the Bible App to the spot on your phone where you usually check social media. Open the app and read a few verses instead of getting sucked into scrolling.