The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
There’s an old saying that “comparison is the thief of joy,” and I think that hits home especially hard in a small town.
When you live in a place where everyone knows everyone, and most of us have known each other since we were in diapers, it can be easy to start measuring our lives against the people around us. Who got the new truck.
Who’s remodeling their kitchen. Who’s got the perfect-looking family photo on Facebook.
Who got the promotion, or whose kid made the team. But the truth is, comparison steals the happiness God intended for each of us.
When we look too closely at what others have, we stop seeing what God is doing in our own lives.
Galatians 6:4 reminds us, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.”
In a small town, we notice everything; the new job, the engagement ring, the house addition, the fancy vacation.
And while it’s easy to get caught up in those details, we have to remember that God’s plan for our lives doesn’t look like anyone else’s. What He’s doing for your neighbor may not be what He’s doing for you right now, and that’s okay.
His timing is perfect, even when it doesn’t match the pace of the people around us.
I’ve had to remind myself that joy isn’t found in keeping up, but rather found in gratitude.
It’s found in seeing God’s fingerprints on the little things: the laughter around the dinner table with your family, the sunset after a long day, the peace that comes when you trust Him instead of worrying about how you measure up.
Maybe today is a good day to take a breath and thank God for the story He’s writing in your life. No one else’s. Just yours.
Because when we stop comparing, that’s when true joy, the kind that only Jesus gives, can finally take root in our hearts.