The lines God has given are drawn out of His perfect love for me.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup, you hold my lot; The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed I have a beautiful inheritance. Psalm 16:5&6
God did not draw my lines haphazardly or randomly, but with me in mind. I don’t want to wrestle with them or push their boundaries. I especially don’t want to willfully step out of them. They are a protection for my soul.
No matter how great life can be, comparison is the bully Satan uses to tell me it’s never enough. To get me to want someone else’s life. Why would I want what God intended for them, it will not fit me. It’s not my size. God tailored my life just for me.
When they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. 2 Corinthians 10:12
When we measure and compare we don't understand. The message version puts this well: "in all this comparing...they quite miss the point." When we focus on others gifts and blessings we miss the point, we forget our gifts and blessings. The point is using them for what they were given, and we miss that entirely wishing we had something else. Satan tricks us into this to waste our time.
Have you ever gotten a gift that was the opposite of who you are, and at the same time that the person gave it to make you feel loved, it actually made you feel like they didn’t even know you at all. God doesn’t give like that. He sometimes gives what we don’t know that we need, but He never gives amiss. He has end game plans for every gift he gives you, even if it looks right now like it doesn't fit.
Even more than that, scripture tells us that the better steward you are of your gifts, the more you can be trusted with. You can even develop new gifts. We are to earnestly desire spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1), but we are not going to increase our gifts by staring by wishing for theirs. I am the one person who can use my gifts to their full extent.
Think about someone with gifts you have been jealous of, try encouraging them and praising them for their gifts. Point out to them how God has used them, and disarm the enemy when He tries to use comparison on you.
I want my life to inspire people to color inside their lines better. Bolder.
How can you use yours today?