Didn’t Take Long
Posted by Prairierose on Mar 10, 2006Ok. That didn’t take long. Doubting myself. Comparing myself. As always, God has a way of slipping in and smacking me upside the head (figuratively) to remind me in a way that I can understand just who I am and what my purpose is. Only a few short hours ago, I wrote this entry.
In today’s mail, we got a book — this company would like us to buy this little devotional book to give to mothers on Mother’s Day. We get stuff like this all the time. “Inspiring thoughts for Mothers”. As I flipped through it, the word “Comparison” in the header of one of the thoughts jumped out at me. I stopped to read.
Comparisons
A chorus popular in the church a few ago, “I’m Yours, Lord, everything I’ve got, everything I am, everything I’m not” was coming from my son’s cassette player as I passed his bedroom.I paused and let my mind replay the words, “Everything I am — and everything I’m not.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” I thought. But the Lord whispered, “June, that’s your biggest problem…constantly worrying about everything you’re not.”
I realized at that moment that I was comparing myself with women all around me who were talented, educated, and “getting degrees on their degrees.” I was drowning in a kind of numbing paralysis, feeling more and more useless. The Holy Spirit showed me that the enemy had me comparing the worst of me with the best of her/them, never seeing God’s gifts in me.
I went to the Word and found that Paul had perfectly described me: “Their trouble is that they are comparing themseleves with each other, and measuring themselves against their own little ideas.”
Later I read that Marlo Thomas said her dad, Danny Thomas, advised her in starting her career in a competitve entertainment world, “Remember, thoroughbreds don’t watch other horses, they run their own race!”
I asked myself, “is this my race, or somebody else’s?” If I went through life living other people’s priorities, what they said I should, or because it’s safe, or impressed people, I would be miserable. I felt a deep reassurance that the Holy Spirit would be first to tell me what to do, and how I was doing.
I rested in the counsel my husband gave me when we first started in ministry, “If you please God, you’ll please the people He wants you to please.”
Jesus had no need to prove himself when Satan taunted, “If you’re God’s Son.” Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and fired back,”The Scripture says!” He knew who He was — God’s Son. You and I must know that we’re His children too.
— June Hurst.
It is not important to me if I am judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself…but the Lord is the One who judges me… Wait until the Lord comes… Then each person will receive his praise from God. *I will maintain mine own ways before Him. *Examine me, O Lord, and prove me.
— 1 Corinthinians 4:3-5; Job 13:15; Psalm 26:2
‘Nuff said. I get the point.
March 10th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
The Lord has such a wonderful way of getting our attention….especially when we focus it on Him. Lovely post.
btw….I write because it’s a creative outlet for me.
March 12th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
This post is in this week’s KS blogger roundup at http://ladygunn.blogspot.com/2006/03/kansas-blogger-round-up.html
March 14th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
[…] Prairie View has a message that will be helpful for everyone who is dealing with stress and priorities - not just those connected to the military. […]
December 20th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
On mar 10th 2006 you wrote about a chorus “Lord, I’m yours with everything I’ve got, everything that I am, everything that I am not.” I am looking for the music to that song. Do you know who was the singer on your sons tape? We used to sing that at my old church and I want to bring it to my new church. Thanks! Jason