Adulting Ain't Easy: A 7-Day Reading Plan for 20-SomethingsSample

The Secret to Joy

I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. PSALM 139:14 VOICE

Annie stared at the woman in the photo on Instagram. She was so beautiful, startlingly so. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, curled but almost naturally. Her makeup was perfect but not overdone. Her clothing was exactly what was in fashion. The woman looked effortless. There are no zits, wrinkles, or crow’s feet on her face. How could anyone have problems with a face like that?

Annie double-tapped the picture to “like” it, even though envy was swirling like a tornado within her chest. She turned her face toward the bathroom mirror. She’d woken up with a brand-new zit on her chin this morning. It looked red and angry, sort of like how Annie felt on the inside. She glanced closer at the creases near her eyes. Was her skincare routine even helping? Her mom had always called them laugh lines, but Annie didn’t think her crow’s feet were funny at all.

She turned back to Instagram. The next post she saw was a quote someone shared that stopped her in her tracks. “Comparison is the thief of joy,” the post stated. Annie’s mouth gaped open. Isn’t that exactly what had just happened? Annie had compared herself to another woman and found herself losing all her joy. If comparison was the thief of joy, what could be the giver of joy? Annie turned toward the mirror again. “Thank You, God, for my eyes,” she said. “Thank You for my hair. Thank You for my body, for how I can run . . . for my mouth and how I can taste good food . . .” As Annie gratefully counted her gifts, she began to notice her envy turn into something else: joy.

Can you turn your envy into joy today by counting your gifts with a heart of gratitude instead? Gratitude begets joy. When we count the ways God has blessed us, instead of focusing on what we feel we don’t have, we begin to see how much God has given us. When we compare ourselves to others—who they are or what they have—we are taking away from the beauty and uniqueness of how God made us. And the truth is Instagram rarely tells the full story. The comparison cycle can be stopped by one thing: gratitude. What can you thank God for today? Legs that run, eyes that see the beauty of creation, ears that hear the birds sing, a mouth that can taste chocolate or ice cream or strawberries. The best way to counteract comparison is through counting the gifts God has given us.

THERE IS SO MUCH I HAVE TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

God, it is easy to compare myself to others, but I know that You created me on purpose. Thank You for making me, me.