Topic: Stop Comparing and Start Fulfilling Your Purpose [RICK WARREN Devotional 19 April 2021]
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Stop Comparing and Start Fulfilling Your Purpose
“The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)Your life has value. Your life has purpose.
No matter what you’ve been told by someone in your life or by culture or by the lies Satan puts in your head, you are infinitely precious to God. He thought of you, he made you to love you, and he cares about every detail of your life. Your life reveals God’s purpose and shows his glory.
You are valuable, no matter who you are or where you’re from. And the same is true for every person, from the moment they are born. We’re all differently abled and gifted, but God looks at us the same: with love.
None of us are perfect, but the Bible tells us God accepts responsibility for all our genetic defects. Did you know that? It doesn’t include the problems in our lives that we brought on ourselves because of poor choices. But all of the genetic weaknesses you didn’t have any say in are part of how God shaped you for a purpose.
The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (NIV).
God accepts responsibility because he has a bigger perspective than any human. He can see what we can’t see. And he loves each of us for our potential to do the great things he has planned for us, regardless of our hang-ups.
God isn’t going to compare you with anybody else. He made you to be you. You are his masterpiece. He’s looking at how you use your spiritual gifts, talents, and abilities. And, he’s going to help you reach your unique potential.
Don’t waste any more time thinking you don’t have something to offer the world or comparing yourself to other people. You were shaped by God for a great purpose!
- Have you been comparing yourself to others? What is it that makes you think they’re better than you are or that God loves them more?
- Do you focus more on your hang-ups or your God-given potential? Why does it matter which one you give more thought to?
- How can you figure out what God shaped you to do? Are you meant to figure it out on your own?