Jessica Daly - Stop Comparing Your Journey
“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; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13,14
Sadly the world around us sends subtle but powerful messages all throughout our day telling us to compare ourselves to others. We allow this through the means of social media, magazines in the grocery store line, billboards along the road side, television, and yes, even with friends and family. We are constantly bombarded with visuals of perfect people leading perfect lives which rationally we know do not exist. We secretly strive for perfection while living with inevitable disappointment because perfection was manifest only through the person of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 139 tells us that God created us in our mother’s womb and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We know that God’s works are amazing so why would our creation be any different? It’s not! Each of us was created differently because our Creator has a different plan for every single one of us. What a boring world this would be if each of us were the same. How horrible it would be if everyone’s talents were the very same. Just imagine for a moment a world filled with no creativity or interest. The thought of that makes me sad and it isn’t even possible.
Instead, our God chose to make each human being for a specific reason. There are things you can do that no one else on the planet can do exactly the way in which you do them. But it starts with you accepting those differences and embracing the individual God called you to be for Him and not for yourself or others. That’s the tricky part. Man was the one who decided people should be compared to one another not God.
It all begins with asking yourself a few questions. What do people say you are good at? What do people like about you? What are things you have always dreamed of doing but are afraid to do or even share with another? Those are the places I encourage you to start.
I realize that I am no better, or worse for that matter, than anyone else God decided to create. I also understand that I am different from any other and for that reason it is my task to not only love and worship my Creator and Savior but find ways in which to use my talents and abilities for Him and His kingdom. I feel that’s the least I can do. Don’t you?
Publisher Note: Jessica Daly is a native of Wayne County and currently resides in the Lynchburg, Va. She is a graduate of Eastern Wayne High School and East Carolina University where she has earned a BS in elementary education as well as her Master’s Degree in Library Science. Jessica is married to Brian Daly, a native of Wayne County for 15 years and they share a daughter, Taylor who is 12 years old. Jessica began My Daly Outreach Ministries, a ministry dedicated to caregivers, in January 2011. The ministry consists of an online website, www.mydalyoutreach.com, a published book entitled “Brian’s Update” and inspirational speaking across the country bringing awareness to forgotten caregivers. Jessica is now the Coordinator of Undergraduate & Online Research as well as an associate professor for Liberty University.
