I am teaching a Bible study locally and yesterday the discussion came up within the study about comparing our ministry with others. We are studying James and we saw how the early pillars of the church, Paul, James, and Peter were all very different in their conversion stories, and their ministry.

That is how it supposed to be.

Yet, we often compare what someone else is doing and think we should be doing it to.

False.

God has called each one of us to different ministry. He has called us to Himself each in a different way.

And it goes further…it has to be that way. We can’t exist to serve without us all being different.

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-13

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” v. 16

The comparison trap, especially in ministry, is a clear shot from Satan. He takes something beautiful-our desire to serve the Lord and puts a worldly spin on it.  All of a sudden, the focus goes off of God and onto ourselves.

We look at what others are doing and think we are not good enough. We don’t do enough. We aren’t doing things right. They are doing it better.

Such lies.

Truth is, my ministry is not your ministry.  I have the desire that GOD has placed in my heart and called me to at this time for His purposes. We forget that sometimes right?- it’s HIS purposes, not ours.

I write about the comparison trap often because it is at the heart of simplifying-when our eyes are fixed on GOD and serving Him, the worldly desire to please others fades away. The more we de-clutter our hearts of comparing to the numerous other ministry opportunities out there, the more focused our hearts are on our one true intention in this life. To Glorify HIM.

Some are called to minister to women, some to children, some to homeless, some to distant lands.  Some are taken around the world, and some are taken as far as inside their homes-but it doesn’t not matter as long as they are following the call the God has given them. Not the call of the world.

I do nothing in my strength. I never thought I would be serving in the ministry areas that I am. I certainly wasn’t equipped. But don’t you love this quote:

Yet He doesn’t call us all to the same thing. Never ever, let what someone else is doing hinder your service toward God. Never ever let comparison ruin your efforts.

I do nothing by own strength. That is the beauty of serving. He equips us! He provides the time we need! He provides the strength we need! The energy to persevere.

Once we lose sight of that and focus on ourselves, we’ve missed the point of serving.

The beauty of a calling though is this: You can do immeasurably more than you ask or imagine!You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You can do the impossible! You can serve Him with an abundant amount of joy that you never felt before. You are truly serving when you do it solely through his strength.

He started me out ministering in the four walls of my home. That was my calling, yet now He is taking me out of those four walls and into areas that I never thought I was equipped for. That is how good He is.

So dear sister out there…please try to remember we only need to compare ourselves to what God has asked us to do. Never to another sister in Christ. In fact we should be rejoicing with other sisters when they have found a calling! Share in their joy! That is true love!

This is how Beth Moore summed it up in the Bible study I am doing now…