The Comparison Trap

Get on your phone and look in your settings. It will tell you how much time and battery percentage that you spend on social media. How much time is it? A lot? Did you expect it to be that much time?

Let’s be honest, teens spend TOO much time on social media and TV. On average, a person will spend about 5 years and 4 months of their life on social media. That might not seem like a lot, but let me put it in perspective for you.

In 5 years and 4 months you could:

That’s A LOT of time. But, people still love it. They find a sense of value and significance from the number of likes that they get on a picture or a comment that they post.

And that feeling can be very addicting.

But the problem with social media is that it provides a lot of opportunities for comparison. It is so easy to scroll through people’s highlights of their life and compare it with the reality of your own world that doesn’t seem to measure up. To compare how you look with everyone’s perfect selfie or edited Instagram photo is dangerous. You look at what others have and what others are doing on social media, and you realize that you aren’t like them and you feel bad about yourself in a lot of ways. Over time it gets worse. You may even feel a need to change who you are.

Our society has this messed up view of life because they don’t know God. The world says “if you don’t have this and don’t do that, then you don’t fit in and you are an outcast.” This can create a pressure for you to be someone that you are not or to hide who you really are.

Comparison is a big deal and a very easy trap to fall into. It’s just like running on a treadmill; you run and spend a lot of time and energy on it, but you never get anywhere. But let me tell you, God loves you so much. He made you the way that you are for a reason and with an amazing purpose.

In the Bible it says “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13-14) That means that you are priceless. People may try to tell you who to be, but knowing your identity in Jesus is so much bigger and better. To Him, you are #1. He is so proud of you and you don’t have to change who you are. Dr Seuss said “Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive that is you-er than you!”

Comparison is a thief that steals your joy and breeds dissatisfaction. But, you can and will be free from comparison as soon as you start seeing yourself as God sees you!! As you look at yourself and realize that you are an original that God created to live life with a unique call and purpose.

You are the best you that there is.

Nobody can do you better than you!!

Rhema is an 8th grader in Spokane. She is on ASB at school and knows her mission at school is to be a light in the darkness and to influence students and staff for Jesus at her middle school while she is there for two years. Outside of school she dances tap, hip hop, lyrical and jazz. She loves little people and helps in children’s ministry at her church and helps teach dance to 4 year olds at her dance school.  She is actively involved at her youth group and loves helping new people feel at home at church. She has a heart to make sure others feel included and never excluded.