Red Flags: A 10 Day Devotional On RelationshipsSample

Day 9: Red Flags in Me #2

I remember one time when my brother and I were younger, we were playing flag football with our youth group. We ended up getting too competitive and got in a huge fight that day. The fight wasn’t as much about the game as it was about things that were happening under the surface in our hearts. Today, my brother and I love each other and are great friends, but there were things we needed to work out within ourselves that tried to draw us apart. Things like insecurity, comparison, jealousy, or bitterness. 

Most of the tension and relationship problems in our lives don’t have to do with the other person. Truthfully, the tension often comes from within us. It’s much easier to blame our emotions on the actions of someone else rather than to guard our own hearts and own our own reactions. Do you ever deal with the three red flags below? I know I have at different points in life. 

1) You’re constantly comparing yourself to others. 

2) You feel the need to “win” by beating everyone around you. 

3) You feel like everyone is out to get you and are stuck in the fear of man. 

Comparison kills, but contentment in who you are in Christ brings life. Stop looking at other people’s lives with envy and start living your own life! God has a purpose and destiny for you, but you have to stop trying to be like other people and start becoming like Jesus! 

As Christ followers, we win by serving. It’s not about being the best, it’s about humbly serving and sacrificially giving. You never lose by putting others first. You can live secure when you know how much God truly loves you. Abiding in the love of Christ frees you from the fear of man, need for approval, constant comparison, and the hunger to be the best! 

The Bible is not behavior modification, it’s heart transformation. When we encounter Jesus, He doesn’t leave us the same. When God shows us red flags in our lives, it’s to draw us to Him and make us more like Jesus. It’s an invitation to grow mature in our faith. If you relate with any of these red flags, take a moment today to bring them before God. He loves you as you are, but He is too good to leave you there. Surrender every area of your heart to Him and watch as He does what only He can do in your life! 

Pray with me today: “Heavenly Father, help me to be content with who you’ve made me to be and to overcome the distraction of comparison. Holy Spirit, work within me and mold me to be more like Christ every day. I surrender my heart and life to you! In Jesus’ name, amen.”