The Bug Bites Again

The other day, my 2 year old daughter rushed up to me. She was holding a small, pink cape with a yellow lightning bolt on it in her hands. It actually belonged on this giant, life-sized doll that my sister had gotten her for Christmas. She held this little cape out to me and asked, "Mom, will you put this cape on me? I have a mission!" I velcroed it around her little neck, and then she rushed off, presumably to carry out her "mission."

This cute little act of pretending got me thinking. Do I do this? Do I daily put on my own cape to carry out my mission? What keeps me from doing this daily and diligently?

I know what I do sometimes. I take my eyes off of my mission, off of my calling, and I start checking out someone else's. I think, 'Man, I don't sing that well,' or 'I wish I was artistic like her.' I forget what God has gifted me in, and I start wishing I could do what I see others doing around me.

That Comparison Bug bites again!

Why, as women, do we so easily forget that we are special to God? Why do we so frequently compare ourselves to each other, trying to see how we measure up to the women around us, even women we call our friends? We forget this truth from scripture:

"For we are God's masterpiece. He created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago" (Ephesians 2:10).

Each one of us, on our own, is God's crowning achievement. We are the best things He created. In His eyes, we are a work of art. And also, He has planned good things for us to do. He chose, in advance, to use us just as we are. With the help of Jesus, we can actually accomplish these good things that he has for us to do.

So what is our problem? Why do we forget who and what we are to God? Why do we allow the Comparison Bug to bite us?

I think it is because we take our eyes off of our own "cape." We look at our friends' capes, and by doing so, we allow the Devil to sneak in with the doubt. He whispers to us, "Her cape is prettier than yours. It is such a nice shade of purple. It is longer, too," and on and on he goes if we let him.

But, if we keep our eyes focused on the one who gave us our very own cape, who strengthens us to carry out our very own mission, that nasty bug will be repelled. The Devil and his doubt will flee.

We have all been assigned a mission: to use our own talents and gifts to serve God, bringing others to Him. This is our mission. Do we choose to accept it? Do we choose to accept that it will look different on every person?

You know, I could try to wear my daughter's cape. However, it would be too small and would probably strangle me. This is true when we try to carry out someone else's mission, or we try to do our mission like someone else would. We find that the mission doesn't fit, or we feel strangled by the burden to be someone we're not. I'll wear my cape; you wear yours. God made us, and amazingly, we're His masterpiece.

I've linked up this week with Intentional Tuesday, #RaRaLinkup #TellHisStory, and #coffeeforyourheart