Battling Comparison

From the moment you get engaged, you are bombarded with questions and suggestions about what your big day should look like. Your friends and family members may have your best intentions at heart, but they are only a fraction of the inputs your brain has to sort through. Social media has an infinite number of beautiful wedding images for you to browse for inspiration. From the very first time you search for anything related to planning a wedding, you will begin to receive countless targeted ads specifically designed to influence your decisions.

With an overwhelming amount of information to process, it can be easy to begin to set unrealistic expectations for what your wedding day should look like, or compare your future celebration to every wedding you’ve ever been to. Trying to plan an event that lives up to the standards the world sets is exhausting, not to mention expensive.

Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” If we apply this truth to wedding planning, our decision-making becomes much simpler. We no longer have to please everyone around us with every choice we make, God’s approval is the only one we should seek (Galatians 1:10).

Staying grounded along this journey is not easy, but thankfully the Bible is full of wisdom to keep us focused on what matters. When your social media feed invites you to set unrealistic standards, or you feel a desire to impress everyone around you with every decision you make, ask yourself, “Who am I trying to please?” When our hearts are in line with God’s will, the Bible promises he will take care of us. Looking back to Matthew 6:23-30, we are reminded that nature is full of evidence of God’s love. If he ensures the birds of the air have plenty to eat, and clothes the grass of the field with beautiful flowers, how much more does he care for the details of your life?