December 16, 2025 • 17 mins
In today’s episode of What’s God Got to Do With It? we’re diving deep into a struggle we’ve all faced: comparison. Whether it’s scrolling through Instagram, seeing someone else’s success, or feeling like you’re falling short in your own faith walk, comparison is a sneaky thief that steals our joy, gratitude, and connection to God.
Leanne explores the real cost of comparison—how it can plant seeds of envy and even make us question God’s goodness—and explore practical, faith-filled steps to break free. From practicing radical gratitude (and the neuroscience behind how it rewires your brain!) to celebrating others without comparison, we’ll learn how to turn jealousy into connection and curiosity. Most importantly, we’ll anchor ourselves in God’s truth, reminding ourselves of the unique and beautiful plans He has for each of us.
If you’re ready to stop letting comparison steal your peace and start walking confidently in your own God-given path, this episode is for you, because What God has for you is yours.
HOST: Leanne Ellington // StresslessEating.com // @leanneellington
To learn more about Leanne, head over to www.LeanneEllington.com, and to share your thoughts, questions, feedback, or guest suggestions instantly, head on over to www.WhatsGodGotToDoWithIt.com.
Follow Leanne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanneellington/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
If you want to go on a journey. If you're skeptical,
don't worry. Now here to preach, gonn to keep it
clean and talk to me and recall where faith means
fos of nature and get in touch with your creator
with a bacon, love and jew She even speaks Hebrew.
What's that, Ganza? What's that?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Sad busation? Should talking transformation?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Gonzato?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Hey? Hey, and welcome back to what's God got to
do with it? And today we're diving into a topic
that if we are all honest with ourselves, it really
does hit all of us at some point, and that
is comparison. And so yep, we are going there today
and we're going to talk about that sneaky little habit
of scrolling through Instagram or walking into a room and
(01:05):
instantly sizing yourself up.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Against someone else.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
And you know, when you see her outfit or her
success or her family, or her talent, or maybe how
Air quotes perfect her faith seems, and suddenly you feel
like you're not measuring up. And let's be real, sometimes
comparison doesn't just stop it feeling less than. Sometimes it
turns into envy or jealousy. And when that happens, it
(01:29):
doesn't just stay in our heads. It starts to spill
out into our relationships and into how we see ourselves,
and then into how we see God. And that's where
the real cost of comparison shows up. So today we're
going to have a heart to heart about the spiritual
toll of comparison, and we're going to talk about how
(01:49):
it affects your faith walk, what it does to your
relationship with God and with others, and most importantly, how
to stop letting it steal your joy and your peace.
And so just say before we dive in, this is
not me coming from some high mountaintop. I am not
sitting here talking at you from some place of judgment.
Comparison has been a struggle for me too, and so
(02:10):
this is not me telling you what to do. It
is me coming alongside you as a sister who has
walked this road and is still learning how to navigate
it with grace.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
So let's start with the big picture. Comparison is the
thief right.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It steals your joy, it steals your gratitude, It even
steals your ability to connect with God. And so just
think about it when you're stuck in comparison, What are
you focusing on right, Well, you're focusing on what you
don't have and what you're not doing or who you're
not measuring up to. And when your focus is there,
it's almost impossible to see the blessings God has already
(02:46):
given you. Paul says it's so beautifully in Galatians six
four through five, where he says each one should test
their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves
alone without comparing themselves to someone else.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
For each one.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Should carry their own load. And when what Paul is
talking about here is the kind of contentment that comes
from knowing you're walking the path that God has for you.
And so when we are constantly comparing ourselves to others,
we lose sight of that path and we get distracted
by somebody else's journey and start questioning if ours is
(03:21):
good enough. And so I remember a season in my
own life where comparison was truly running the show. It
was back when I was deep in my own, you know,
journey of healing and self discovery and really my walk
with the Lord.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
But I'd made a lot of.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Progress, but I still felt like I was playing catch
up with the people around me. And so there was
this one woman in my field, and I remember every
time I saw her post on social media, I immediately
made it mean that I was falling short. And she
seemed to have it all, like the thriving career and
the perfectly curated family moments and the morning devotional shots
that made it look like she and God were, you know,
(03:56):
having coffee daily together, right, And well, I was over
here struggling to just stay consistent in my own prayer life.
And let me tell you that comparison wasn't just a
mental game. It started to take root in my heart
and I found myself resenting her, and worse, I started
to question God, like why did you bless her so much?
Speaker 1 (04:17):
And not me? Like what am I doing wrong?
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And I didn't realize it at the time, but I
was letting comparison plant seeds of jealousy and bitterness and
honestly even distrust towards God. Like it was impacting my
ability to trust God, and those seeds were choking out
my ability to see the beauty and the blessings in
my own life.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
And so here's the thing.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Comparison doesn't just affect how you see yourself. It also
impacts how you seek God. And so in James three sixteen,
it says, for where you have envy and selfish ambition,
there you find disorder and every evil practice. It's even
talking about disorder. Right, So now that might sound harsh,
(05:02):
but let's just break that down. So when we're stuck
in envy or jealousy, we're not just feeling bad about ourselves.
We're also questioning God's goodness and we're saying, like, God,
what you've given me isn't enough, and what you're doing
isn't my like my life, what you're doing in my
life isn't enough.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
And so one of my clients, Renee, came to me
feeling completely stuck. She'd been pouring her heart into her
new business, but every time she looked at her peers.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
She felt like she was falling behind.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
And so she told me, Leanne, I feel like I'm
doing everything right, but God's not blessing me the way
that he's blessing them, Like what am I missing? And
so even just that, like can you hear the heartache
in that cry?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Out?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Right, Renee wasn't just comparing her success to someone else's.
She was starting to believe that God's love and blessings
were limited, like there wasn't enough to go around. And
that's what comparison does, like it tricks us into thinking
that some one else's success or beauty or blessings somehow
diminish our own.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
But here's the truth. God's blessings aren't a competition.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
What He has for you is yours, and what he
has for someone else is theirs. It's like in Jeremiah
twenty nine to eleven, where God says, for I know
the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future. God's plans for your life are specific
to you, and they are good. Right.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Notice it doesn't say like, for you know the plans
I have for you. It says, for I know the
plans I have for you. Right.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So let's talk about how to break free from the
comparison trap, because knowing it's a problem is one thing,
But learning how to let go that's where the real
work happens. So again, not me coming from some high place,
but these are the steps that I've just brought myself
through that I feel like I want to pass.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
On to you to share it.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
So step one is to learn and practice gratitude like
it's a skill. And this is where faith meat science
comes in, because for a lot of times, gratitude didn't
resonate with me. I hear that with my clients a lot.
So we're gonna break it down where faith meets science
as well. So the best way to combat comparison is
to focus on what you already have, Okay, And so
(07:23):
gratitude is like a muscle, and the more you use it,
the stronger it gets. And here's the really cool part.
Neuroscience backs this up. So practicing gratitude doesn't just make
you feel good in the moment. It literally changes your brain.
And so when you intentionally focus on gratitude, it activates
your brain's reward system and it releases things like dopamine
(07:44):
and serotonin, which are those feel good hormones that regulate
mood and promote feelings of happiness. And so over time,
consistently practicing gratitude, it strengthens those neural pathways that make
it easier for your brain to recognize and.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Focus on the positive.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It's not just like, oh, just focus on the positive.
It's like you've got to train your brain to see
abundance instead of black. But what's even more fascinating, or
at least it is to me, is how gratitude works
on a neurological principle. I've probably talked about it a
lot already, but this idea of reciprocal inhibition. So this
means that when one emotional state is active, the opposite
(08:23):
state is automatically suppressed or turns off. So if I
flex my elbow, I'm activating my bicep, and because of
reciprocal inhibition, my tricep has to suppress and shut down, right.
And so in this case, when you switch on gratitude
and then envy and jealousy are neurologically inhibited, and so
your brain simply can't fully engage with feelings.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Of gratitude and jealousy at the same time.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
They're like two sides of a seesawt So when gratitude rises,
envy and jealousy have to go down and lose their grip.
And so one of my clients, Jesse, experienced this firsthand.
So during a tough season in her life, she was
struggling to think of anything to write down because she
was so focused on what wasn't going right, but I
encouraged her to just keep at it and really focus
on building those neurological muscles and to start small. And
(09:11):
so she began jotting down little things like the sound
of her kids laughing, or the warmth of the sun
on her face when it was really cold, and she
just appreciated that sun even more, or the peace of
a quiet morning with her coffee. Right, and at first,
be totally honest, it felt forced for her, right like
it would for any of us. But over time her
brain started to shift, and as she cultivated that gratitude
(09:34):
in her brain and in her heart, those feelings of
lack and envy naturally began to fade. And that is
the power of reciprocal inhibition at work. Gratitude wasn't just
helping her feel better, It was actively shutting down the
negative thought patterns that had been fueling her comparison and jealousy.
And so I love this verse from First Thessalonians five eighteen,
(09:56):
where it says give thanks in all circumstances, for this
is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. So here
is your challenge or your double dog Dare I want
to invite you to just every day for the next week,
write down three things you're grateful for, and like, don't
overthink it and don't feel like it has to be profound.
Just start small and then as you write, take a
(10:18):
moment to really feel the gratitude in your heart. So
it's not like a shopping list where you're writing it out.
It's like, really feel it, let it sink in. And
over time, you're going to notice that your mindset starts
to shift, and with it your ability to combat comparison
and embrace the blessings that are in your life. They're
going to be become even stronger. Okay, so that is
(10:39):
step one. Step two is to actually learn to celebrate
others without comparing.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So I know this is this.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Is challenging too, but when you feel jealousy creeping in,
I want to invite you to choose to celebrate the
person that you're comparing yourself to. And so it might
feel awkward at first or even force right, but I
promise it will shift your heart.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
And here's why.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So this isn't just from a neuroscience perspective. Celebrating others
taps into the brain's mirror neuron system. Which is the
part of the brain that helps us empathize and connect
with others.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
And so when you intentionally.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Celebrate someone else's success or joy, your mirror neurons activate
and they allow you to kind of like feel their happiness,
almost as if it's your own. And this practice can
help shift your focus away from envy and bring it
over to connection. And when you do that, you create
a sense of shared joy rather than feeling that competition.
(11:42):
But also the act of celebrating someone else it triggers
a release of oxytocin which we talk about a lot
here on the Godpod. And when you cheer someone on
or like just send them a kind message or pray
for their success, you're not just helping them feel good,
you're rewiring your own brain to a so their blessings
with positive emotions rather than feelings of lack or resentment.
(12:06):
And so in Romans twelve fifteen, it says rejoice with
those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn, And
this verse reminds us the power of stepping into somebody
else's own experiences with empathy and love. And when we
celebrate others, we're not only aligning ourselves with God's command
to love one an other. We're also reminding ourselves of
(12:27):
a powerful truth that God's blessings are abundant and there's
more than enough for everyone.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
So here is your.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Practical challenge in double dog Dare. The next time you
notice jealousy creeping in, and you know you're human, you're
probably gonna feel it, I want to invite you to
just pause and.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Choose to celebrate that person instead.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Right. I know it might sound so foreign, but this
might mean like sending them an actual message, or praying
for them on the spot, or just cheering them on.
And it might feel strange at first because if you're
so used to the opposite, but over time time it
will soften your heart and help you see their blessings
as a reflection of God's goodness, not as a threat
(13:08):
to your own. So that is step number two. And
then step three is to anchor yourself in God's truth.
So when comparison starts to creep in, and it will,
I want to invite you to combat it with the
truth of God's word. So, for example, like you can
remind yourself of Versus like Psalm one thirty nine fourteen,
where it says I praise you because I am fearfully
(13:30):
and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that
full well, right. And so that's just one example. You
want to find something that resonates with you, but write
it down, say it out loud, speak it over yourself
until it starts to sink in.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
And you are one of God's wonderful works.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
So it's so powerful to be able to just again
let God's truth anchor you and what's true rather than
that comparison or that end or jealousy. And then step
four is to turn that comparison into curiosity. And so
sometimes instead of letting comparison lead to jealousy, we can
use it to get curious and just ask yourself, like,
(14:07):
what is this comparison revealing to me about my own
desires or my own insecurities? Like maybe God is using
that moment to show you an area of your life
that needs healing or attention. And so for one of
my clients, Rachel, she realized that her comparison to a
friend's success wasn't really about the friend at all, It
was about her own fear of failure. And so once
(14:30):
she identified that and we can really work on her beliefs.
She could also, you know, take that to God and
start working on it from the inside out and the
outside end.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
And so here's the bottom line. Comparison is a thief right.
It robs you of your joy, your peace, your purpose.
But it only has the power that you give it.
And so when you shift your focus back to God,
and when you see your life through the lens of
His truth and his unique.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Plan for you, comparison just loses its great like.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
There's no need to compete, because what God has for
you is yours and yours alone. And that's why I
invite you to just choose differently, and to practice gratitude
for the life that you've been given, and celebrate others
without envy, and lean into what comparison is teaching you
about yourself, and most importantly, to ground yourself in God's.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Truth and trust his timing. So thank you so much
for listening to today's episode. And if this.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Challenged you or it encouraged you, share it with somebody
who needs to hear this message, because it's so powerful
for us to remind one another of this bigger picture,
because we are all running our own race and on
a past design by the one who knows us best.
And just remember we are all already equipped, and already
loved and already enough, but it is up to us
(15:50):
to live like we believe it.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
All right, bye for now, we'll be back with more
What's God Got to Do with It?
Speaker 2 (16:00):
But in the meantime, I would definitely love to hear
from you, so just tell me where you are in
your story or maybe what questions you have, like where
do you feel you need clarity or support or wisdom
in your own journey. I definitely want to hear from you,
So head on over to What's God Got to Do
with It? Dot com and scroll down to the form
(16:21):
to share your thoughts, your questions, your feedback, and.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
You can do that instantly. So What's God Got to
Do with It? Dot Com? You'll find all the ways
to do that.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
And if you like this podcast and want to hear more,
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(16:51):
God Got to Do With It is an iHeartRadio podcast
on the Amy Brown Podcast Network.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
It's written and hosted by me Leanne Ellington, executive.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Produced by Elizabeth Fazzio, post production and editing by Houston Tilley,
and original music written
Speaker 1 (17:06):
By Cheryl Stark and produced by Adam Stark
If you want to go on a journey. If you're skeptical,
don't worry. Now here to preach, gonn to keep it
clean and talk to me and recall where faith means
fos of nature and get in touch with your creator
with a bacon, love and jew She even speaks Hebrew.
What's that, Ganza? What's that?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Well?
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Sad busation? Should talking transformation?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
What's that?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Gonzato?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Hey? Hey, and welcome back to what's God got to
do with it? And today we're diving into a topic
that if we are all honest with ourselves, it really
does hit all of us at some point, and that
is comparison. And so yep, we are going there today
and we're going to talk about that sneaky little habit
of scrolling through Instagram or walking into a room and
(01:05):
instantly sizing yourself up.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Against someone else.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
And you know, when you see her outfit or her
success or her family, or her talent, or maybe how
Air quotes perfect her faith seems, and suddenly you feel
like you're not measuring up. And let's be real, sometimes
comparison doesn't just stop it feeling less than. Sometimes it
turns into envy or jealousy. And when that happens, it
(01:29):
doesn't just stay in our heads. It starts to spill
out into our relationships and into how we see ourselves,
and then into how we see God. And that's where
the real cost of comparison shows up. So today we're
going to have a heart to heart about the spiritual
toll of comparison, and we're going to talk about how
(01:49):
it affects your faith walk, what it does to your
relationship with God and with others, and most importantly, how
to stop letting it steal your joy and your peace.
And so just say before we dive in, this is
not me coming from some high mountaintop. I am not
sitting here talking at you from some place of judgment.
Comparison has been a struggle for me too, and so
(02:10):
this is not me telling you what to do. It
is me coming alongside you as a sister who has
walked this road and is still learning how to navigate
it with grace.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
So let's start with the big picture. Comparison is the
thief right.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It steals your joy, it steals your gratitude, It even
steals your ability to connect with God. And so just
think about it when you're stuck in comparison, What are
you focusing on right, Well, you're focusing on what you
don't have and what you're not doing or who you're
not measuring up to. And when your focus is there,
it's almost impossible to see the blessings God has already
(02:46):
given you. Paul says it's so beautifully in Galatians six
four through five, where he says each one should test
their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves
alone without comparing themselves to someone else.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
For each one.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Should carry their own load. And when what Paul is
talking about here is the kind of contentment that comes
from knowing you're walking the path that God has for you.
And so when we are constantly comparing ourselves to others,
we lose sight of that path and we get distracted
by somebody else's journey and start questioning if ours is
(03:21):
good enough. And so I remember a season in my
own life where comparison was truly running the show. It
was back when I was deep in my own, you know,
journey of healing and self discovery and really my walk
with the Lord.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
But I'd made a lot of.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Progress, but I still felt like I was playing catch
up with the people around me. And so there was
this one woman in my field, and I remember every
time I saw her post on social media, I immediately
made it mean that I was falling short. And she
seemed to have it all, like the thriving career and
the perfectly curated family moments and the morning devotional shots
that made it look like she and God were, you know,
(03:56):
having coffee daily together, right, And well, I was over
here struggling to just stay consistent in my own prayer life.
And let me tell you that comparison wasn't just a
mental game. It started to take root in my heart
and I found myself resenting her, and worse, I started
to question God, like why did you bless her so much?
Speaker 1 (04:17):
And not me? Like what am I doing wrong?
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And I didn't realize it at the time, but I
was letting comparison plant seeds of jealousy and bitterness and
honestly even distrust towards God. Like it was impacting my
ability to trust God, and those seeds were choking out
my ability to see the beauty and the blessings in
my own life.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
And so here's the thing.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Comparison doesn't just affect how you see yourself. It also
impacts how you seek God. And so in James three sixteen,
it says, for where you have envy and selfish ambition,
there you find disorder and every evil practice. It's even
talking about disorder. Right, So now that might sound harsh,
(05:02):
but let's just break that down. So when we're stuck
in envy or jealousy, we're not just feeling bad about ourselves.
We're also questioning God's goodness and we're saying, like, God,
what you've given me isn't enough, and what you're doing
isn't my like my life, what you're doing in my
life isn't enough.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
And so one of my clients, Renee, came to me
feeling completely stuck. She'd been pouring her heart into her
new business, but every time she looked at her peers.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
She felt like she was falling behind.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
And so she told me, Leanne, I feel like I'm
doing everything right, but God's not blessing me the way
that he's blessing them, Like what am I missing? And
so even just that, like can you hear the heartache
in that cry?
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Out?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Right, Renee wasn't just comparing her success to someone else's.
She was starting to believe that God's love and blessings
were limited, like there wasn't enough to go around. And
that's what comparison does, like it tricks us into thinking
that some one else's success or beauty or blessings somehow
diminish our own.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
But here's the truth. God's blessings aren't a competition.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
What He has for you is yours, and what he
has for someone else is theirs. It's like in Jeremiah
twenty nine to eleven, where God says, for I know
the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future. God's plans for your life are specific
to you, and they are good. Right.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Notice it doesn't say like, for you know the plans
I have for you. It says, for I know the
plans I have for you. Right.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So let's talk about how to break free from the
comparison trap, because knowing it's a problem is one thing,
But learning how to let go that's where the real
work happens. So again, not me coming from some high place,
but these are the steps that I've just brought myself
through that I feel like I want to pass.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
On to you to share it.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
So step one is to learn and practice gratitude like
it's a skill. And this is where faith meat science
comes in, because for a lot of times, gratitude didn't
resonate with me. I hear that with my clients a lot.
So we're gonna break it down where faith meets science
as well. So the best way to combat comparison is
to focus on what you already have, Okay, And so
(07:23):
gratitude is like a muscle, and the more you use it,
the stronger it gets. And here's the really cool part.
Neuroscience backs this up. So practicing gratitude doesn't just make
you feel good in the moment. It literally changes your brain.
And so when you intentionally focus on gratitude, it activates
your brain's reward system and it releases things like dopamine
(07:44):
and serotonin, which are those feel good hormones that regulate
mood and promote feelings of happiness. And so over time,
consistently practicing gratitude, it strengthens those neural pathways that make
it easier for your brain to recognize and.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Focus on the positive.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It's not just like, oh, just focus on the positive.
It's like you've got to train your brain to see
abundance instead of black. But what's even more fascinating, or
at least it is to me, is how gratitude works
on a neurological principle. I've probably talked about it a
lot already, but this idea of reciprocal inhibition. So this
means that when one emotional state is active, the opposite
(08:23):
state is automatically suppressed or turns off. So if I
flex my elbow, I'm activating my bicep, and because of
reciprocal inhibition, my tricep has to suppress and shut down, right.
And so in this case, when you switch on gratitude
and then envy and jealousy are neurologically inhibited, and so
your brain simply can't fully engage with feelings.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Of gratitude and jealousy at the same time.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
They're like two sides of a seesawt So when gratitude rises,
envy and jealousy have to go down and lose their grip.
And so one of my clients, Jesse, experienced this firsthand.
So during a tough season in her life, she was
struggling to think of anything to write down because she
was so focused on what wasn't going right, but I
encouraged her to just keep at it and really focus
on building those neurological muscles and to start small. And
(09:11):
so she began jotting down little things like the sound
of her kids laughing, or the warmth of the sun
on her face when it was really cold, and she
just appreciated that sun even more, or the peace of
a quiet morning with her coffee. Right, and at first,
be totally honest, it felt forced for her, right like
it would for any of us. But over time her
brain started to shift, and as she cultivated that gratitude
(09:34):
in her brain and in her heart, those feelings of
lack and envy naturally began to fade. And that is
the power of reciprocal inhibition at work. Gratitude wasn't just
helping her feel better, It was actively shutting down the
negative thought patterns that had been fueling her comparison and jealousy.
And so I love this verse from First Thessalonians five eighteen,
(09:56):
where it says give thanks in all circumstances, for this
is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. So here
is your challenge or your double dog Dare I want
to invite you to just every day for the next week,
write down three things you're grateful for, and like, don't
overthink it and don't feel like it has to be profound.
Just start small and then as you write, take a
(10:18):
moment to really feel the gratitude in your heart. So
it's not like a shopping list where you're writing it out.
It's like, really feel it, let it sink in. And
over time, you're going to notice that your mindset starts
to shift, and with it your ability to combat comparison
and embrace the blessings that are in your life. They're
going to be become even stronger. Okay, so that is
(10:39):
step one. Step two is to actually learn to celebrate
others without comparing.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So I know this is this.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Is challenging too, but when you feel jealousy creeping in,
I want to invite you to choose to celebrate the
person that you're comparing yourself to. And so it might
feel awkward at first or even force right, but I
promise it will shift your heart.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
And here's why.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So this isn't just from a neuroscience perspective. Celebrating others
taps into the brain's mirror neuron system. Which is the
part of the brain that helps us empathize and connect
with others.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
And so when you intentionally.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Celebrate someone else's success or joy, your mirror neurons activate
and they allow you to kind of like feel their happiness,
almost as if it's your own. And this practice can
help shift your focus away from envy and bring it
over to connection. And when you do that, you create
a sense of shared joy rather than feeling that competition.
(11:42):
But also the act of celebrating someone else it triggers
a release of oxytocin which we talk about a lot
here on the Godpod. And when you cheer someone on
or like just send them a kind message or pray
for their success, you're not just helping them feel good,
you're rewiring your own brain to a so their blessings
with positive emotions rather than feelings of lack or resentment.
(12:06):
And so in Romans twelve fifteen, it says rejoice with
those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn, And
this verse reminds us the power of stepping into somebody
else's own experiences with empathy and love. And when we
celebrate others, we're not only aligning ourselves with God's command
to love one an other. We're also reminding ourselves of
(12:27):
a powerful truth that God's blessings are abundant and there's
more than enough for everyone.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
So here is your.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Practical challenge in double dog Dare. The next time you
notice jealousy creeping in, and you know you're human, you're
probably gonna feel it, I want to invite you to
just pause and.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Choose to celebrate that person instead.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Right. I know it might sound so foreign, but this
might mean like sending them an actual message, or praying
for them on the spot, or just cheering them on.
And it might feel strange at first because if you're
so used to the opposite, but over time time it
will soften your heart and help you see their blessings
as a reflection of God's goodness, not as a threat
(13:08):
to your own. So that is step number two. And
then step three is to anchor yourself in God's truth.
So when comparison starts to creep in, and it will,
I want to invite you to combat it with the
truth of God's word. So, for example, like you can
remind yourself of Versus like Psalm one thirty nine fourteen,
where it says I praise you because I am fearfully
(13:30):
and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that
full well, right. And so that's just one example. You
want to find something that resonates with you, but write
it down, say it out loud, speak it over yourself
until it starts to sink in.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
And you are one of God's wonderful works.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
So it's so powerful to be able to just again
let God's truth anchor you and what's true rather than
that comparison or that end or jealousy. And then step
four is to turn that comparison into curiosity. And so
sometimes instead of letting comparison lead to jealousy, we can
use it to get curious and just ask yourself, like,
(14:07):
what is this comparison revealing to me about my own
desires or my own insecurities? Like maybe God is using
that moment to show you an area of your life
that needs healing or attention. And so for one of
my clients, Rachel, she realized that her comparison to a
friend's success wasn't really about the friend at all, It
was about her own fear of failure. And so once
(14:30):
she identified that and we can really work on her beliefs.
She could also, you know, take that to God and
start working on it from the inside out and the
outside end.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Right.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
And so here's the bottom line. Comparison is a thief right.
It robs you of your joy, your peace, your purpose.
But it only has the power that you give it.
And so when you shift your focus back to God,
and when you see your life through the lens of
His truth and his unique.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Plan for you, comparison just loses its great like.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
There's no need to compete, because what God has for
you is yours and yours alone. And that's why I
invite you to just choose differently, and to practice gratitude
for the life that you've been given, and celebrate others
without envy, and lean into what comparison is teaching you
about yourself, and most importantly, to ground yourself in God's.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Truth and trust his timing. So thank you so much
for listening to today's episode. And if this.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Challenged you or it encouraged you, share it with somebody
who needs to hear this message, because it's so powerful
for us to remind one another of this bigger picture,
because we are all running our own race and on
a past design by the one who knows us best.
And just remember we are all already equipped, and already
loved and already enough, but it is up to us
(15:50):
to live like we believe it.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
All right, bye for now, we'll be back with more
What's God Got to Do with It?
Speaker 2 (16:00):
But in the meantime, I would definitely love to hear
from you, so just tell me where you are in
your story or maybe what questions you have, like where
do you feel you need clarity or support or wisdom
in your own journey. I definitely want to hear from you,
So head on over to What's God Got to Do
with It? Dot com and scroll down to the form
(16:21):
to share your thoughts, your questions, your feedback, and.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
You can do that instantly. So What's God Got to
Do with It? Dot Com? You'll find all the ways
to do that.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
And if you like this podcast and want to hear more,
go ahead and follow, like, and subscribe wherever you listen
to podcasts to get your weekly dose of What's God
Got to Do with It? New episodes drop every single Tuesday,
and while you're there, be sure to rate and review
to show your support. It really means so much. What's
(16:51):
God Got to Do With It is an iHeartRadio podcast
on the Amy Brown Podcast Network.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
It's written and hosted by me Leanne Ellington, executive.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
Produced by Elizabeth Fazzio, post production and editing by Houston Tilley,
and original music written
Speaker 1 (17:06):
By Cheryl Stark and produced by Adam Stark
Host
Leanne Ellington
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