God has given each one of us an individual calling and purpose as Believers. That purpose is to go out into the world and tell others about our glorious King. We were each born with gifts that will be used to bring glory to Him and to further His kingdom. So what happens when there are others out there who have been blessed with similar gifts as ours? Should we stop and compare ourselves to them and see how we add up? I’m afraid that this tends to be our natural tendency.
Long ago, there lived two women who were each chosen and favored by God.
Two women who were family.
It is time for us to pause and see what we can learn about comparison from the two cousins Mary and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth
We begin our lesson in the book of Luke. It is there where we learn about the coming birth of John the Baptist and about his parents. Their names were Zechariah and Elizabeth. The word says they were righteous in God’s eyes, and careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations (Luke 1:6). They were also both very old and unable to conceive. One day while in the sanctuary of the Temple, Zechariah was visited by an angel of the Lord who told him that his wife Elizabeth would conceive a child. Their son would be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17) and would prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.
Mary
When Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the same angel Gabriel to Nazareth to visit Mary. Mary had found favor with God and was chosen to conceive and give birth to a son who would be named Jesus (Luke 1:28-33). The baby would be born holy and would be called the Son of God. The angel also told her of her cousin Elizabeth’s pregnancy in her old age. Mary was chosen to be the mother of our Savior whose Kingdom will never end.
“Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Luke 1:38
Mary and Elizabeth
Both of these women were graciously favored by God. They were each predestined for incredible callings. They were to be Mother’s of men that had been prophesied about: The Messiah and a man with the power and spirit of Elijah.
When I stop to think about each of these miracles, I can imagine that each was excited to tell the other one the good news. In fact it was only a few days later that Mary hurried to the town were Zechariah and Elizabeth lived. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:39-41).
What I couldn’t help but notice was Elizabeth’s reaction to Mary. It struck me. Here was a woman of old age who once thought that she would never conceive. God had answered her and her Husband’s prayers and blessed them with a son. Yet when it came time to share this exciting news with Mary, this is what happened…
“Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit with me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.””
Luke 1:42-45
She chose humility, and gave her younger cousin the honor she was due.
There was no jealousy at the fact that her little cousin was chosen to be the Mother of the Lord, there was no questioning why Mary had been chosen instead of herself, and there was no second guessing God’s choice. Instead, there was rejoicing that each one played a part in God’s perfect plan.
No Comparison for Them
These two Godly women could have glanced at each other and compared callings but instead they were able to give us a glimpse at what sisterly love is. They each had a purpose set out before them and gave each other encouragement instead of questioning whose call was the better one.
Fast-forward to today and we still have woman called to do mighty things for the Lord. Each of us have a different set of talents and gifts that enable us to fulfill our purposes.
Yet, nowadays we are so much more apt to comparing ourselves to others than in the days of old.
Our standard becomes how we are compare to other women with the same calling as us. If we don’t measure up in our own minds to what we think others expect of us, then we become failures. Failures because we don’t have enough followers, subscribers, or likes on Facebook. Failures because we aren’t as successful, or beautiful, or as popular.
The danger of this type of thinking is we get caught up in ourselves instead of Him. Our call becomes a competition and our effectiveness is watered down to nothing more than a selfish swamp.
How Can We Avoid the Comparison Trap?
We have all been in this place I speak of. It is our sinful nature to over-analyze and compare ourselves to others. If there were no such thing then the term “Keeping up with the Joneses” wouldn’t be such a popular saying. But if we are going to be honest in this assessment of ourselves then we have to look at the driving forces behind comparison. The contributing factors are things like jealousy, covetousness, and selfishness. None of these are healthy attributes and are in fact, detrimental to our spiritual walks.
So what do we do to change this about ourselves?
God’s word says that we are to pay special attention to our own walk and the work that is set out before us. If we keep our eyes focused on Him, we won’t need to glance to our right or our left.
“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”
Galatians 6:4-5
The Struggle Is Real
If it is becoming a struggle the best thing you can do is confess it and ask God to rid you of it. God is faithful in removing these things from us, all we need to do is ask Him to remove the temptation. You may have to turn things off for a bit till you can be strengthened enough to continue without feeling tempted to compare.
If you feel like you are falling into the bad habit of comparing then social media just might be your nemesis. It is a possibility that you might have to turn your phone off and give it a rest. Eyes that are too focused on what others are doing are susceptible to losing their own God-given vision.
“But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.”
James 3:14-16
Be encouraged in knowing that Mary and Elizabeth both experienced miracles and each one had their own path to follow. One was no better than the other in the Lord’s eyes for each were chosen for individual assignments by Him. Let us all learn a lesson from them on how to embrace each other in the work He has predestined us for so that we may lift each other up.
Be blessed in the Lord,
Hi Natalie!
Love this part: God’s word says that we are to pay special attention to our own walk and the work that is set out before us. If we keep our eyes focused on Him, we won’t need to glance to our right or left.
This should be applied in all aspects of our lives, as wives, mothers, bloggers, etc.
Praising God for your post today, as I randomly visited to see how you have so beautifully designed it thus far 🙂
Sue @ mamaofthreeboys.com
Hi there Sue!
I’m so happy you were blessed by this post and I agree that it should apply to all aspects of our lives. It’s always a pleasure when you stop by Sue : )
Empowered WOMEN EMPOWER women
Excellent! Word in due season Natalie. Thank You for sharing.
Blessings of GRACE and Supernatural FAVOR be within and surrounding You always. “O’Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.His mercy and loving kindness endureth forever.” Psalm 107:1
Happy Mother’s Day, Enjoy! 🌹
Thank you so much Erica! I hope you enjoyed your day as well : )
This is such a beautiful post! Thank you SO much for sharing! God blesses everyone in completely different ways<3 But He still blesses us!
Thank you so much Elaine : )
His blessings are abundant and I’m so grateful for his grace and mercy. I pray you have a love-filled Season!
I love this! I recently did a post on comparison and another post on Elizabeth. She really is a wonderful role model!
I was just on my way to head over and read yours. The Lord is definitely speaking to our hearts in this area. Be blessed Rosie!
Love this! Always need to remember the wonderful women in the Bible to give me some encouragement today!
God bless you Adriana!
It’s so true. There are so many wonderful women of the Bible we can “compare” ourselves to instead. Many blessings to you!
I loved the post. I have never thought of this that way, that Mary and Elizabeth could compare to each other but it’s so true. We are prone to compare to other people, and that makes us so miserable. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you so much Silvia!
I had never thought about them this way either until I was studying the book of Luke and the Lord opened my eyes to it. He uses so many women throughout the bible as examples of how we should behave as Christian woman. I’m trying to be more aware. Thank you for blessing me with your presence Silvia!
This is just beautiful. I love that you highlighted that both women rejoiced that they were part of a bigger plan… that’s something for me to aspire to! I have always loved the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth (I wrote about it this Advent, too!– http://www.thespeckledgoatblog.com/2016/12/advent-jesus-understands.html ) but I love that you related it to comparison- I hadn’t thought of that!
I love how how His word unfolds before us and His spirit reveals things that we wouldn’t normally take notice of. I can’t take the credit and it truly is all God. Thank you Lord Jesus for your word! I’m off to read your post!
Lovely words and great points. When we focus on what someone else is doing our focus is off Christ and his calling for our life. Competition and comparison between women fails to catapult our calling, but cooperation and congratulations creates champions!
Extremely well said Brianna! Comparison is such a hindrance. Thank you for affirming that encouragement creates champions, because it really does!
I love this post! Comparison is a struggle for me, especially around the holidays when family is surrounding me. I feel the temptation to compare myself to those around my age, but then I realize that everyone is different. I am doing my best to serve the Lord, and that is what truly matters.
You are making the wiser choice by acknowledging that everyone is different and serving the Lord in their own unique ways. It can be difficult to say no to the temptation of something that feels so natural to do. Comparison is a surely a trap.
Thank you for pointing out Elizabeth and Mary, I hadn’t thought of how they related to each other.
Yes comparing is real! Thanks for the reminder to focus on our own walks and talents.
Julie
I was studying from the book of Luke one day and the Lord heavily introduced the topic of Comparison in my heart. Never before had I thought of Mary and Elizabeth in that capacity. Thank God for His Holy Spirit that introduces subjects such as these. Without His guidance I would be doomed.
Awesome post! I absolutely love your site too!
Thank you so much Courtney! That blesses me so much to read such a sweet compliment. God bless you!
This is cool! I’m saving it to share with my girls’ group next year- such truth in keeping our eyes focused on God!
Oh Hannah! That is so awesome and encouraging! It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.
Absolutely beautifully written. I love the way you brought to light the love between Elizabeth and Mary – the giving of honor and rejoicing with one another. What a glorious picture of what the body of Christ was created to do!
Thank you so much for your sweet words Naomi! I just love that the word of God gives us countless examples of how the body of Christ is to treat each other. It never gets old. It’s never outdated. Simply truth.
I love that this topic keeps coming up over and over, because it’s so relevant in this online world! I’ve also been reading Luke 1-2 this week, so it’s even more perfect that you wrote this post! Thank you for sharing <3
I’m so glad you have been blessed by this post Nicole. You are right, it’s very relevant to right now, this day in age. Thank you for your encouraging words : )
What a lovely illustration Natalie! I am truly encouraged. I have been studying Galations 6:4 this week as well, for this very reason!
Awesome Nisha! I’m so glad the Lord is bringing you the confirmation you need through His word. God is good!
This is so good! Great teaching Natalie! Its all for the glory of Him!!
Thank you Dearest Carmen! You are always a breath of fresh air : )
I absolutely love this post! I enjoy reading about the women of the Bible-always. And I especially enjoy the infancy gospel, but I love the new take on it you shared here. It truly is a beautiful example of women of God uplifting and honoring one another. This is a vital message for bloggers, for moms, for women in general! Thank you for sharing this! I hope to share this post on social media because I think it could be a great blessing to so many!
Patty you are so sweet! I really appreciate your friendly feedback. I believe that God wants us to embrace each other not only as women, but as sisters in the faith. Too often comparison turns into competition. I love what we can learn from Elizabeth and Mary’s example.
Very well said Natalie. I am amazed at the wisdom of our young mothers coming behind us!
These words could apply to any aspect of our lives when we want to measure up or fit in! I’m so glad that God has a different plan for each of us.
Thanks!
Praise God April,
I’m so joyful that this post resonated with you. Every time I feel tempted to compare myself to others God reminds me of these two women now. I just love His wisdom.
So easy to compare, either to feel superior or a failure! We should be each other’s cheerleaders instead!
Amen and Hallelujah!!
Natalie,
This is so good. I’ve just recently joined blogging networks. It’s been such a pleasure to meet you and many others, and I know what you’ve mentioned – that it’s so easy to get into the comparison trap. But, something about Mary and Elizabeth has always been speaking to me, too. They birthed into the Earth God’s vision and plan and fulfilled prophecy. You and all us Gospel Bloggers are doing the same thing. You are exactly right! We are each doing that today in a different way from each other. God bless your ministry!
God bless your ministry as well Ann! Thank you for encouraging me with your words. We are each part of the great commission and instead of comparing ourselves to each other we should be embracing each other.
I love this Natalie. I immediately thought of Mary and Martha. I didn’t even notice that you were speaking of Mary and Elizabeth. My mind was so trained to people writing of the actions of Mary and Martha. What a breathe of fresh air to see two women both birthing men of greatest honor, supporting one another.
It’s funny Brittany but we can become fixed upon what we know. Mary and Martha are one example of many women in the Bible who were in a bit of rivalry. Mary and Elizabeth were both chosen for great purposes and yet they lifted each other up. I love that they demonstrated sisterly love and that we can reflect on their story to build our relationships with each other. Thank you Brittany!
Loooove this, Natalie! Great insight from the exchange from these two women!
Thank you Kelly! Your words always brighten my day!
I love this! I thank God for you! The insightfulness is great. Please do keep it up. I pray one I would be able to write like you. Am blessed with your thoughts. God bless you!
This is great, Natalie! Such a wonderful message to hold on to and apply, especially as bloggers who are all doing God’s work, like Mary and Elisabeth were privileged to do. And you were one who humbly did this for me just the other day! Thank you, dear friend! You made my day and I hope you are blessed for all the encouragement you bring to people’s lives!
God bless you Beth! You encourage many with your Godly wisdom and precious insight, including myself. I’m praying good things for you today.