Comparison Steals Joy.

Why do I struggle with insecurity and inadquecy, especially now that I have a few extra pounds of baby weight still hanging on & a few, or a lot, of stretch marks on my belly? That I graduated as an RN but am not exactly using that degree the way some others think I should be? That my house isn't decorated so so? That my clothes might be a little lacking in the lastest styles?

I have focused so much on guarding my heart through the years, especially as a young girl waiting patiently on the man God had for me. My prayer was to have a pure heart before God, that He would guard it and keep it for Him and His glory....

But now.....

What about guarding my EYES?

((http://inspiredtoaction.com/2012/06/guarding-my-eyes-so-i-dont-compare-myself/))
((I found the article above and wanted to share a blurb from it, that really helped me!))

The Comparison Trap:

Comparing ourselves to others steals from us. It steals our joy in Christ. It blinds us to the ways He’s designed us individually and purposefully. And if we fall in the comparison pit, we will find ourselves sulking in the shade because they don’t have stretch marks.

Maybe you or I don’t physically look like someone else. We may sag or have wrinkles or cover the grey. But I pray we open our ears to the truths from the mouth of our Lord. I pray we have a fresh desire for the favor of our God. He’s the One who looks at the heart, not at our waistline.

He takes our cute little face into His massive hands and says, “Lift your eyes up, sweet daughter, and look at Me. Look at My face. I say that you are absolutely adorable. Believe Me. Believe what I say about you.”

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Does it matter what my waistline is if my relationship with God is out of whack? He looks at my HEART.

As girls, it's so easy to start hating. When we look at girls and wish that we had that outfit, that body, that hairstyle. Instead of being like "WOW! She is really pretty, I'd like to be her friend" we usually come up with something like "She's not as pretty as she thinks she is, I mean look at that nose." or "She just thinks she's too good..." It comes from an insecure heart- one that is intimidated.

I don't know about you, but I hate feeling that way.

I want to GUARD MY EYES. To quit COMPARING MYSELF and to see myself th way God sees me! To LOVE myself! To not focus on appearance, but to focus on believing the truth. And that's that "He takes our cute little face into His massive hands and says, “Lift your eyes up, sweet daughter, and look at Me. Look at My face. I say that you are absolutely adorable. Believe Me. Believe what I say about you.”

What about you? Ever struggle with this?