I was ready for a relaxing weekend with no particular agenda. I grabbed my phone and started scrolling through my Instagram feed. I stared for a minute at a picture of a perfect view of some foreign country behind a gorgeous person wearing an adorable outfit. Ah, if only my life looked like that . . .
Before I knew it, my mind was heading in a downward spiral I didn’t even realize was taking place.
My hair wasn’t like hers.
My clothes weren’t that cute.
My legs weren’t that skinny . . . and the list goes on.
I was wrapping myself in a web of despair, and my contented Saturday just flew out the window, replaced by an onslaught of comparison, discouragement, and despair. And then it slowly dawned on me that this feeling of melancholy, this sense of unrest, was a direct result of being ungrateful for the life that I have been given. Discontentment had crept into my heart like a virus. It’s a problem I call “The Cs Disease.” Yup, a disease made up of Cs.
The first C is for COMPARISON.
It’s such an easy trap to fall into. For me, it’s so easy to look at others and compare myself. (You too?) I think:
As long as I’m as skinny as she is, I’ll feel okay.
As long as my hair looks like hers, I’ll feel okay.
As long as I get to have amazing experiences like she does, I’ll feel okay.
Suddenly, the way God chose to make me falls short in my eyes. It feels like being who God made me to be isn’t good enough.
The second C is for CONFUSION.
When my eyes are focused on the world, instead of Christ, clouds of discontentment fog my thinking and truth seems vague and unclear.
When I’m looking around at what everyone else has or looks like . . . when my eyes are focused on the world, instead of Christ, clouds of discontentment fog my thinking and truth seems vague and unclear.
The third C is for CONDEMNATION.
After all the comparing has caused confusion about who God created me to be, I feel condemned—condemned to life as a girl who is never enough. Condemned to be only okay—never pretty enough, never smart enough, never accomplished enough to really shine.
The Cure for Cs Disease
To sum up Cs Disease in one sentence: When we start comparing ourselves to others, we become confused about who God has made us to be, which leaves us feeling condemned and worthless.
Now that we have this dangerous disease diagnosed, we can turn to Scripture to find the secret remedy. How do we fix this virus inside our hearts? We need the T Treatment.
The first T is for TRUTH.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
When you’re tempted to compare, remind yourself of the truth that God didn’t accidentally give you your nose instead of her nose. He loves the way He formed every part of you.
The second T is for TURNING.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Col. 3:2).
Turning our eyes upon Jesus gets our focus off of ourselves and onto God’s amazing grace and love in our lives.
Turning our eyes upon Jesus gets our focus off of ourselves and onto God’s amazing grace and love in our lives.
The third T is for TRIUMPH.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).
As Christ becomes the main point of focus in our lives, comparison, confusion, and condemnation slowly have to back away. There’s no room for them anymore. We can have triumph and victory over the Cs Disease.
So what steps are we going to take? Perhaps it’s taking some time off of social media or YouTube videos, movies, or certain books. Perhaps instead we need to feast on God’s Word, choosing to focus on who He declares us to be.
Let’s all take the time to examine what it is in our lives that’s pulling our focus off of Christ.
By Liza Proch
