“Faith also causes us to stop worrying so much about what others think of us and begin to care far more about what God thinks of us.” (Brian K. Ashton, “The Doctrine of Christ,” General Conference, October 2016)
We live in the world of Pinterest moms and perfectly curated Instagram feeds. The constant connectivity that social media provides can be a great thing, but it also comes with a price. It is so easy to compare ourselves with others and the amazing things they are doing every day. We find ourselves worrying so much about what the picture will look like and how to caption our post that we miss precious moments of living. This constant comparison inevitably leads us to think and believe that we are not enough — that we will never be as good, or have as much and that that somehow makes us less worthy.
God doesn’t care how pretty your perfect family dinner was last night, or whether the straws matched the balloons at your sons 2nd birthday party. He doesn’t care if you have the perfect outfit or what amazing outing you took your family on this weekend. He loves you when your hair is a mess and your makeup is smudged. He loves you when you forgot to workout and when you fed the kids cereal for dinner again. He loves you because you are His. You have divinity inside you. His is the only opinion that matters. As we come to trust in Him, believe Him, and exercise faith in Him, we can understand our own divinity. How many likes we got on our last Instagram post becomes completely irrelevant and no longer has any power over us. Faith, then, liberates us from the pressures we place upon ourselves to live up to the expectations of others.
Meditation and Journaling Prompt: Where do you find yourself comparing yourself to others? What areas of your life do you feel the most insecure about? How can you turn that insecurity over to God? What do you think He would say/think about it?
Call to Action: Take a break from social media today. Don’t look, read or post at all. Notice if it makes a difference in how you feel about yourself.
