When I was 15 years old, I babysat for a family that lived about 15 minutes away. They liked me enough that they would even pick me up and drop me off. One night, the father of the family took me home. It was late, past midnight. The main road to get to my house was really dark, and every so often a car would pass with lights so blaringly bright that I'd lose my sight for a second.
This is what he told me on the way home that night. "Keep your eyes on the white line. If you look at the center dotted lines, you will swerve into their lane. If you keep your eyes on the straight white line to the right, it will keep you in your lane and help keep you focused when those bright lights are shining at you."
25 years later, and I can still vividly remember that conversation. I was just starting to learn to drive, so I'm sure that's a good part of why I remember it. But, there were spiritual implications to me as well. Only thing is that, I'm just now starting to understand those words and their spiritual meaning to me.
We were never meant to focus on the people around us, coming at us. We were meant to keep our eyes on Jesus alone. When we become so engulfed in the people around us, whether through serving or through comparing, it's easy to lose sight of our purpose and become disheartened. We can become hard hearted.
I'm not saying don't serve others, but don't let them become your focus. Don't let your good work become more important to you than your one on one time with Jesus. He longs for your heart. He longs to be your guiding light/line on a dark road. Keeping your eyes on Him will help keep you focused on the call He's placed on you and help keep you moving forward.
Comparison is an ugly thing that most women have to deal with from time to time. I've committed this area to the Lord, and He has helped me overcome so many distractions in comparing myself to others. We can't move ahead in the call of God on our lives if we are too distracted and focused on what our sisters in the Lord are doing or not doing for the Lord. Make it a point to pray when those jealous or superior feelings start to rise up.
Friend, Jesus wants to give you a heart of flesh for that heart of stone. Let Him in. Don't let them enemy fill you with lies of being inferior, jealousy, covetousness, comparison, or haughtiness. I have been guilty of believing all of those lies and living in them for too long.
God wants to set us free. He wants to be able to use us mightily, but we let so much bitterness and jealousy enter in that it thwarts His work. God is jealous for us. That definition is that He is vigilant in guarding a possession. We are not to be jealous of others - apprehensive of losing affection or position; resentful or bitter in rivalry.
James 3:16-18 "Any place where you find jealousy and selfish ambition, you will discover chaos and evil thriving under its rule. Heavenly wisdom centers on purity, peace, gentleness, deference, mercy, and other good fruits untainted by hypocrisy. The seed that flowers into righteousness will always be planted in peace by those who embrace peace."
If you have felt jealous or envious of what others have or do, let me encourage you to give it up to Jesus. If you have compared yourself over and over to others, lay it at His feet. He has great things for you if you can just focus on Him alone instead of others. I have been through this, and I know it's so much better on the other side of it.
The thing is, we are all one body. The body has many parts. You ARE an important part of the body. You have a vital role in kingdom work. If your gift is to write letters, write on. If your gift is to make meals for the sick, cook on. If your gift is to speak at women's events, speak on. Whatever your gift, carry on, whether you are the only one doing it, or one of one thousand women doing it. Carry on.
Father, my heart is burdened for those who have lost their focus. My heart is heavy for people who feel they don't have a place in the body, or that their place is somehow insignificant. I lift them up to you, and ask you to do a mighty work in them today. Heal their broken hearts. Mend the hurt places. I pray that they would focus their gaze straight toward you, our white line on a dark road. I ask that those bright lights heading toward them would dim and that they would be able to see you more clearly, Lord. Help my friends who feel jealous or envious to lay that at your feet, and to take on humility and kindness. Let your love so flow upon them right now that they would know you have healed them. Help them to get reacquainted with you, with your word. In Jesus Name, Amen.
