The Joy Thief

It comes and steals all of your joy. It creeps in slowly (or sometimes not so slowly), takes over, and can often control every area of your life. Comparison. That rotten rotten sin that I just can't seem to escape. I've heard/read it several times, a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt: "Comparison is the thief of joy." Afterwards, I realized just how true it is. I constantly find myself trying to impress people or trying to be better than people in a certain area just so I can "turn out on top." Along with that are the unrealistic expectations I tend to have. It is exhausting and in the end, I am left feeling the complete opposite of joyous. I feel jealous. I feel angry and bitter. I feel insecure. I feel disappointed and sad. Anything but joyful. By having these feelings toward people, I am sinning against them for something they didn't even technically do to me. I say my joy is in the LORD, but I am living a lie because in reality I am looking for joy in others' opinions of me. I am temporarily satisfied by feeling loved by others instead of by the only One who can truly and fully love me. The truth is that Jesus is the only thing that ever truly satisfies. Intellectually, I know this is true but my heart keeps wrestling with it. So, I want to throw out some verses that I turn to when I'm believing these lies, hoping that they resonate with you readers.

When feeling depressed/hopeless:
Psalm 16:11- You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

When feeling unloved:
Romans 8:38-39- For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 1:5- he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will

Lamentations 3:22-23-The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Zephaniah 3:17- The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

When I feeling unwanted or left out:
Romans 8:16-17- The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Lastly, another quote that I recently found and have been clinging to: "A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms." No matter what it is, there is always room to grow and competing with others is not going to help us do so. Focus on your own growth. There's no need to compete with others.