“Everyone Else Seems Fine”

Myth: I’m the only one struggling to feel happy in the middle of good things.

Truth: You’re not behind—you’re just in the middle.

Do you ever look around and feel like you missed a memo? Maybe it’s when you hop on social media for a moment or are in conversation with a friend about their latest life update.

Everyone else’s house seems clean. Their kids behave in restaurants. Their career path looks straight and shiny. And somehow they’re still managing sourdough starters, Sunday rest, and strong boundaries while you’re out here just trying not to forget trash day and to drink electrolytes.

Comparison wants to convince us we’re the only ones who feel behind and that everyone else has figured out how to love their life while we’re stuck trying to like it. I hear you!

But here’s the truth I want you to know today: You are not behind. You are not broken. You are not the only one who’s both grateful and tired, blessed and overwhelmed. You’re just in the middle—and the middle always feels messier than it looks from the outside.

And to make this a “capital T truth”: God is sovereign. God is good. He cares about us and isn’t withholding anything good from us (see Psalm 84:11).

Even Elijah, a prophet of God who had just called down fire from heaven (!!!), spiraled into hopelessness and depression in the very next chapter of the story, crying, “I have had enough . . . I am the only one left,” and maybe some other expletives they left out (1 Kings 19:4, 10, nlt). Sound familiar?

When I think that my situation is too unique for God to help, too messed up for Him to care, or too complicated to be reconciled compared to what’s around me and other’s issues, I must remember that God is kind.

My favorite part of the story about Elijah is seeing who God reveals Himself to be to Elijah. God didn’t rebuke him. Instead He took physical care of him. He fed him and gave him a place to rest. And then, after God cared for his earthly needs, He cared for his soul too, gently reminding Elijah that he wasn’t alone and that in fact, there were 7,000 others just like him (see verse 18).

Comparison distorts reality, but don’t let it! God restores our reality if we let Him. He’s not asking us to figure it all out and to meet any standard we’re setting for ourselves. He’s asking for us to lean into the tension, to pursue Him and keep our eyes fixed on where our feet are, not looking to where others stand. This is where the healing starts and we start to see that life is in fact lovable.

So today, when you catch yourself scrolling and spiraling, pause and remember: What you’re seeing is a highlight, not a heart check. What you’re seeing is for them, not for you. We can trust God’s character: faithful, favoring us, and good. He isn’t an accuser; He isn’t in the business of comparison and has never asked us to “measure up.”

And even when it seems like everyone else is fine, chances are they are in the middle too and need this devotion just like you do.

A few things to ponder today:

• Where in your life have you felt “behind” compared to others?
• How do you think God might want to care for you the way He did for Elijah (with gentleness, nourishment, or truth)?
• What would it look like to stop measuring your progress by someone else’s pace?