Comparison That Strengthens

👉🏻Comparison that leads to condemnation is unhealthy.
👉🏻Comparison that leads to alignment is healthy.

As I walk this path into a new place, I find myself comparing this to that, me to them. I felt spotlighted in certain thoughts and behaviors. This spotlight made me see my dullness, wishing I had what they had. It’s been a real struggle between flesh and spirit. Feeling the spotlight can either be the act of the Holy Spirit or the act of evil. For one will uplift and the other will tear down.
For me this comparison hasn’t been in a physical sense, but mental and spiritual.
Do you ever catch yourself saying, “I used to be like that...I used to see like that...I used to have that (blank) in my soul...”
I’d like to think comparison in this sense is a sharpening, an alignment of where we want to or need to be. It is the salt of the earth… It is the city on a hill shining in… It is the spark of a consuming fire… It is the iron sharpening iron chisel.

👉🏻I see her strength, I want that again.
👉🏻I see her changed health, I want that again.
👉🏻I see her acting in blind faith, I want to believe deep again.
👉🏻Her fire ignites others to fire, I remember being consumed.
👉🏻She believes in her value, I want to feel my value.
👉🏻She believes in the ability of God to use her to change peoples lives, I want that belief back for me.

In opposition to truth, the the enemy taunts us in comparison, You aren't, You can't, You shouldn't.

God does not create us to be lukewarm, dull, anxious, insecure, weak. He calls us to be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. He created us to encourage and be encouraged. As iron sharpens iron, we do that in each other’s lives if we will allow ourselves to be His vessels in not only other's lives, but within our own.

We fall into 3 camps I think: We are too sharp for that, we are too full for that or I’m not sure so I won’t be involved.
You can run from yourself but you cannot run from God!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11, 13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Lord Jesus, You did not pour out Your precious blood over us for show. It is to be life for us in every way. Your death is our life. Your last breath is the beginning of ours.
Forgive us when we doubt You and Your ability to use us. Forgive us when we wander in avoidance. Revive us. Renew our minds in You and cast off all that hinders. By the Name of Zjesus our Savior, Healer, Father and King, I say amen.🙌🏻

Today, I am grateful and thankful for my Refreshing, Refining and Redeeming Savior! Today, I chose to Believe He has great plans for me and He has placed AMAZING people in my little world to inspire, mentor and love me where I am. I am Blessed! 

Dirty vs Dirtier vs Clean

My Mother in Law was coming for the night and I needed to prepare her room. We have a unique set up that we have an apartment built onto the back of our garage that we use as a Pool House and Guest House. Depending on the amount of people over throughout the week, grass trails in and crumbs are left behind, toilet paper disappears quickly and on rare occasions, toilets are left unflushed, yuck! So, I was out there taking inventory and to my pleasant surprise, all that was needed was a bed change and a quick vacuum in a few spots by the doors.
As I began to vacuum one beautiful carpet line at a time, the area which I thought only needed to be cleaned became clean with the area next to it to now appearing dirty. Instead of the room being clean with a few dirty spots at a glance, it was actually dirty with a few dirtier spots that needed more attention. God prompted me to ponder:

* At a glance, everyone looks good, but in fact, "all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." This includes when we look at ourselves. We need to be honest when we look at our self seeing what is there, needing a necessary clean. Same with others, no one is perfect. No one should be on a pedestal of perfection otherthan the Lord Himself! He is worthy of our praise!!
* It takes more than a minutes' time to evaluate what's in your heart. Once you "get in there" you will soon find there are plenty more areas that need to be cleaned up. God is gracious to gently refine us. One layer at a time, one sweep at a time, He cleans us. There will always be crumbs and remnants of grass and if we don't clean them up, it will only pile up.
* Our standard of "comparison" ought to be the Law and Love of Christ, not others. Our standard of "cleanliness" cannot be up against another's clean area. We will become prideful or shameful in comparisons. We can only hold our selves alongside the Lord and be truthfully humbled and cleansed.

Thank You Lord for how You cleanse me, gently but thoroughly. When I hide in a corner and start collecting dust, You are loving enough to shine Your light into my dark little corner and bring me out to be dusted off and made clean. Thank You for cleaning out my yucky areas as well as polishing up my refined areas. Lord, humble us today to willingly accept the cleansing that needs to be done in our own hearts so that our hearts will be pure for You. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." Amen.