humility – The Will to Wake Up

The Freedom of Being Wrong

What if being wrong can bring us closer to God?

People hate being wrong.

I’m sure that’s pretty obvious, but the issue is that our society doesn’t seem to see this as a problem. Yet it is because our pride separates us from loving each other and God.

While we’d like to believe that no one can be wrong, the world wouldn’t work if that were true. There is only one who is always right, and that would be Jesus.

It’s to our benefit that Jesus is always right, especially because we are often wrong. Thanks to Jesus knowing best, we can live in peace and comfort because we are forgiven and taken care of. We can be reminded that we are loved and valued, even when others don’t treat us that way, because only Jesus’ opinion of us matters.

But yet our sinful desires often tell us that it would be better if we were right. Yet we don’t know the future. We don’t know the impact our decisions will make. We don’t know whether or not something will actually help us. We would be helpless without God’s help.

When we pretend like we are right all the time, we are harming three important relationships:

Our relationship with God
Our relationship with others
Our relationship with ourselves

We act like we are above God (hint: we aren’t) when we pretend that we know more than He does. Like we, mere specks, could possibly have a better plan than the Creator of the Universe.

When we think we are always right, we never take ownership for our mistakes. That causes others to feel hurt and confused by our actions. We will quickly lose important relationships that way, and surely people won’t feel the love of God from us.

And when we believe we are always right, we give ourselves a false sense of security, when the truth is, we know very little. So when we finally recognize that we’ve made a mistake, we feel like failures, utterly useless and worthless.

But when we recognize that we are wrong sometimes, then when we do make a mistake, we can be proactive in repenting and be reminded that we don’t have to feel ashamed because we are covered in God’s grace.

So what’s the best way to handle this problem? Not picking out other people’s faults, but focusing on how to change your own outlook. Not living in shame, but praising God for the ways He is working within your life to make you the best person you can possibly be.

Remember, accepting being wrong is actually a gift. It frees you from having the expectation of always needing to be right.

You are loved and cherished no matter what ❤

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Fatheris not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:15-17

Humble Beginnings

Sometimes it takes getting small before we feel God’s presence.

In a self-focused society, we often forget what it means to be humble. And honestly, it’s quite difficult to be humble when we feel like we’re our only advocate and we must promote ourselves at every given opportunity.

But today I was given the opportunity to remember how important it is to stay small, to remember how fragile things truly are.

This reminder came to me at the horse riding barn where I help out. Before each ride, we let the horses run around the arena to get their playfulness and disobedience out before a rider gets on. Then, to see if they’ve calmed down, we call them in and see if they will come to us and follow us to the gate.

Twice today, I had to get small, bending close the floor, before the horses would respond to me. They don’t know if they can trust you until you prove you have their best interest in mind. That you won’t hurt them, it’s okay.

Only when I got small would the horse come to me.

This can be reflective in our relationship with God, too.

When we are feeling like the best person in the world, we forget that we need God. We have to get small in order to really feel God’s presence.

And when we are honest about our fragility, how nothing is really in our control, then we have the chance to truly trust God.

We can pretend all we want that things will go the way we imagine. We can act like we have complete control over everything.

But we don’t.

And the sooner we admit that, the sooner we can have peace about the future.

Being humble doesn’t mean denying your talents, it means using them for God’s purposes rather than your own. It means that you won’t take every opportunity you can to remind others of what you know. And most of all, it means recognizing your need for God.

Today, dare to get small. Dare to accept that God does have an amazing plan for you, but you need to trust Him first. You can’t do this on your own, and that’s okay.

You have an advocate, the greatest one of all: God. And that’s a real game-changer.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 4:10

Discerning Voices

Do you ever feel troubled by voices that discourage you?

It’s late at night. You had a decent day before, nothing to worry too much about. But suddenly, it hits you. That one phrase that came out too fast, that one awkward moment, that one cause for slight concern.

And it haunts you for the rest of the night, maybe even trickling into the days that follow.

I thought of the idea for this post around 5 a.m. last night, as I lay awake in bed thinking about when I overshared during a meeting yesterday. At least, I thought I overshared. Nothing really indicated that I did, apart from one slight twinge of fear during the meeting. But the rest of the meeting was encouraging, uplifting, and hopeful.

So why focus on that one moment?

Well…that’s a good question that we all ask ourselves when we feel like we’re spiraling. Should we listen to the voice that tells us we aren’t good enough, or that we’re just an embarrassment? Is that the voice of God?

One of the hardest things about listening to God is knowing what God’s voice even sounds like. There are too many voices in our heads to discern sometimes. Even when we know a voice doesn’t sound like God, the words linger in our minds, affecting our actions and images of ourselves.

So what can we do about this? Live forever in fear of listening to the wrong voice? Allow negative voices to keep us from living to our fullest potential?

I think not!

Instead, we need to be prepared for the next time we hear something. We need to know what God would and wouldn’t say.

Based on what we know to be true of God’s character, here are a few things I think about when trying to decide whether or not the voice I hear is God’s.

God’s Voice Will Always:

Affirm God’s love for you, even if He’s helping you grow or learn from a mistake
Ask you to trust Him rather than fear
Focus on what can be done, rather than something out of your control
Remind you that you are God’s creation, precious and sacred in His eyes
Make you feel motivated to become who you are meant to be, even if that change is hard
Show you that you are not alone

God’s Voice Will Never:

Make you feel worthless
Deny a biblical principal, especially Jesus’ example or sacrifice
Put something before God or His love for you
Make you feel ashamed
Refuse a second chance for forgiveness or a fresh start
Tell you to hurt someone else or do something that God wouldn’t do
Affirm something in you that goes against God’s will or ways
Make you feel like anything about you cannot be redeemed through God’s grace

I’m sure you could look through your Bible and think of even more examples–in fact, I encourage you to do so! The best way to know what God wants for us is to figure out what the Bible says about God’s character.

I believe that we both can stand up against the lies of the enemy. The lies that want to bring us down can be used by God to strengthen us instead.

You are needed. You are loved. You are more than any mistake, any embarrassing moment, any moment of guilt. God will take who you are at this very moment and transform you into the person you are meant to be. All you need to do is let Him.

Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
John 5:25

Life’s Cheap Replacements

What do we really need?

I’ve learned a lot from college so far, but one thing I didn’t anticipate learning was the importance of seat cushions.

That’s right, seat cushions. Considering the price we pay for living expenses on campus, you’d think they could splurge for more than a hard, plastic chair that squeaks. But nope, guess not. And after hours of studying, calling, drawing, and reading in that chair, my back got pretty upset with me.

When I got home, I returned to my much more comfortable chair. However, it also doesn’t have adequate back support. I had purchased a seat cushion for my chair at school, but it got packed away with the other boxes of things saved for next year. So what did I do?

Over the course of a week, I tried a variety of methods. First, I added a slim, silky blanket. Not sure what I thought that would do. Then I added a sherpa, an extra-thick and cushy blanket. That added a bit of support. Then I placed a pillow vertically against the back of the chair. Finally, I put another pillow on top of it, horizontally this time, for shoulder support.

By the time I got done, I barely had any room to sit! And the thing is, this design leaves very little room for finding the perfect seat position, meaning my back still gets sore, just not as quickly.

Now, you’re probably wondering two things: When am I going to stop talking about seat cushions and why didn’t I just search for my real seat cushion?

To answer your first question, trust me, this does have a point. To the second, I suppose it was laziness or the thought that maybe I could figure this out on my own. The more things I added, the more assurance I had that I’d be able to create a masterpiece of a chair.

The truth is, we do this a lot in our spiritual lives too. We feel an ache for God, but we fill that empty space in our hearts with something other than Him. Perhaps it’s material wealth, a relationship, or an adventurous lifestyle. Or maybe it’s a career, a fantasy, or even helping those in need.

None of those things are inherently evil, but when they are used to replace God, they leave us feeling betrayed. We get frustrated with ourselves because we’ve tried everything we can, only to end up tired and confused.

When we look at these cheap replacements for Jesus, we wonder why we’d ever go for what’s empty over what’s priceless. But perhaps our reasons are as simple as mine when it came to the chair. We’re tired already. We don’t want to do the work that it takes to build an intimate relationship with Jesus. Perhaps we feel like we’ve tried the whole “faith thing” and it didn’t feel the way we wanted it to.

But here’s the thing: Building any sort of lasting relationship takes time and effort. If it does with people, then certainly it will with God. Our relationship with God is arguably the most complex, intricate, and confusing relationship we’ll ever have. But isn’t the wholeness, the love, and the forgiveness He offers worth whatever sacrifices it takes?

Today, ask yourself what areas in your life are being used to replace God. Maybe it’s something small, easy to remove. Or perhaps it’s your lifestyle. You don’t have to let go of your entire way of being, but you may need to make changes in order to see where your priorities really are.

More than anything, Jesus wants this relationship with you. He’s ready to meet you wherever you’re at. So stop waiting around for things to get better on their own and start chasing Jesus like He’s chasing you.

Meanwhile, I’ll be hunting for my seat cushion. 😉

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:8-10

What Does “Casting My Cares” Really Look Like?

Are you feeling stressed out and you’re unsure how to find the peace Jesus offers? Here is some advice and encouragement.

I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase (which stems from a verse), “Cast your cares on Jesus because He cares for you”. This verse can be incredibly reassuring, especially when we are dealing with anxious thoughts or troubled hearts. While this verse alone is completely true, we often miss out on a key part of the passage.

These two verses go, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). How can we fully cast our cares on Jesus? By being humble.

Now, it might be hard to see how these two things correlate. But the truth is, when we stop caring so much about whether or not we are pleasing others, being successful in the world’s eyes, or needing to be the best, a lot of our anxieties disappear.

Think about it. What’s been really stressing you out recently?

If it’s the division in our world, then humility is the answer. When we take a moment to be humble rather than shove our ideas and opinions in others’ faces, we can come together, despite our different convictions. Being a good listener takes humility, but isn’t unity worth it?

If it’s feeling upset by an argument, then perhaps the solution to your distress would be humbly apologizing or at least being willing to take the first step in mending the relationship. Even if it isn’t your fault, being the one to initiate reconciliation can bring you both deeper healing.

If it’s experiencing difficulty obtaining a goal, then ask yourself why you have this goal. Is it to “get ahead” in life, so that you can please others? Allow yourself to be immersed in God’s love for you instead and remember that He sees you as enough just by being who you are.

I’m sure there are countless other things you are stressing over, but as you list them down, think about whether or not you’d still be stressed about it if you didn’t care so much about your reputation. Does being right really matter that much? Does being in a higher status truly define your worth? I don’t think so.

Jesus offers us everything we could ever need. However, He does require us to do some work too. We have to be willing to be humble, like Jesus, in order to begin seeing change in our lives. We certainly don’t need to be perfect at humility, but Jesus honors our efforts, regardless of how others may react to them.

Today, allow yourself to be vulnerable and open minded to what others around you say. Remember that no matter how others treat you, Jesus loves you fully and intentionally. Once you let go of the belief that your worth depends on who others say you are, you will finally find peace.

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 3:8

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7

In For a Dollar

What keeps you from having a deep relationship with God?

At the end of every speech, Christian writer Max Lucado tests his audience by offering a dollar bill to anyone who wants it. Usually, he’s met by silence, a confused crowd. After a little while, one nervous or daring audience member stands up and claims it.

He concluded that there are a few reasons why people don’t race each other to the stage. First, for simply a dollar, it might not seem worth the humiliation of going up there. Second, they may think someone else needs the dollar more than them. And third, they may think it’s a trick.

Lucado compares this example to salvation. There’s nothing we can do to earn God’s forgiveness, it’s simply there for us. We may not believe it will benefit our life, even though it certainly will. We may think others need it more than we do.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s two things separating us from God: fear and pride.

Fear tells us that salvation isn’t “really” free. It makes us doubt God and His plan, and even His existence. It causes us to hide our beliefs or ignore our convictions.

Pride makes us think we don’t need God. We allow self-sufficiency take the place of our need of our rescuer–God. We do whatever we can to avoid humiliation.

In order to have a deep and honest relationship with God, we need to trade our fear and pride in for two things: trust and humility. When we trust God, we are willing to do whatever He asks us to, even if the world thinks it’s strange. When we are humble, we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us by showing us where we need to grow and allowing us to demonstrate God’s love to everyone in our path.

We can be confident without being prideful by remembering we are made in God’s image and everything we have comes from Him. We can be logical without being fearful, by taking necessary precautions to be safe while not allowing them to come between us and God’s call.

Sometimes it feels like a long, endless journey towards becoming who God has created us to be. But don’t lose hope. Each day, by striving to know Him and become more like Him, you are growing. God is not wasting this season of learning. He’s shaping you into exactly the person you need to be.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
James 4:6

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:3-4

The Power of Vulnerability

Do you view being vulnerable as a strength or weakness?

In 2003, a young boy and his family experienced a life-altering event that would impact many lives around the world. Colton, the child, had an emergency surgery that doctors were amazed he survived through. While in surgery, he temporarily died and was able to be in Heaven. During the time when the doctors weren’t sure if he’d make it, Colton’s father, a pastor, poured his heart out to Jesus to save His son. He wept and he screamed and he demanded that life be restored.

In an interview with Colton and his dad, they were asked why Colton wanted to come back to Earth after having such a wonderful experience with Jesus in Heaven. Colton responded, “I knew that I was leaving Heaven because Jesus came to me and said, ‘Colton, you need to go back’…He said he was answering my dad’s prayer.” That prayer happened to be the outburst made when all hope was lost. When choice words were used, when hurt was exposed, when life seemed bleakest.

I so often wonder what we lose when we don’t expose our full selves to God. Obviously He knows every part of us, but He honors it when we trust Him enough to bring those parts to Him by our own will. Yet it’s so tempting to believe that because Jesus is our Lord and Savior, the all-knowing, perfect One, we must only bring the best parts of us to Him.

Yesterday, I was privileged enough to hear the testimony of a new pastor at our church. Despite having only been with us for three months and not evening knowing us in-person yet, she shared many trials and tragedies from her spiritual journey. She was open, vulnerable, and relatable. That was the beauty of her story. Not the wonderful articulation of it or even finding the perfect Bible passage to close, though those were also true. No, it was when she created a space of both healing and grief, of brokenness and restoration.

How often do we miss out on the opportunity of being a better leader or friend or family member because we feel the need to put on an act. Vulnerability is associated with being weak, but being vulnerable is actually a great strength. It requires conquering the fear of judgement first. We often believe we must “have it all together” in order to be accepted, right? Maybe, maybe not.

What if we enter all our relationships with a sense of vulnerability? Not naivety, not blind trust, but rather relatability? The willingness to allow the broken part of our lives inspire and touch others?

Interestingly, the reason I joined this meeting was because of the title, “New Beginnings”. This phrase has popped up in my life time and again over the last six months or so, a sign from God, I believe. I’ve often associated this phrase with the idea of starting with a clean slate, leaving behind the past.

But yesterday I was presented with a new idea. New beginnings doesn’t mean moving past the hurt before we’re ready. It means allowing God to restore and redeem the past, pondering our experiences in a new way.

The best way to accept God’s transformation in our lives is giving the all of ourselves to Him. The broken, the shattered, the weary. The hopeful, the curious, the eager. Everything.

I’m going to close with Psalm 103, which was read during my meeting yesterday. The pastor shared how this psalm means so much to her as it was shared by a friend fighting cancer. It reminds us all of God’s never ending love for us.

1 Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— 18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. 19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, my soul.
Psalm 103

Source of introduction story: Historyvshollywood.com

Holy Week Series: The Pain of Humiliation

How can we learn from Jesus’ example when experiencing humiliating situations?

Today is Good Friday, when Jesus was mocked, flogged, and ultimately killed, events that we should all agree are anything but “good”. There are so many points I could share in this post about Good Friday, but what I’ll focus on today will be the utter humiliation Jesus had to experience before being crucified.

In a study by Psychology Today, they found that when you’re humiliated, “the degree to which your brain is activated is more pronounced than with other emotion-inducing conditions”. I often wonder how much physical pain we’d be willing to endure in order to avoid humiliation. Often during studies of Good Friday, there’s a lot of focus on the physical torturing Jesus experienced. And He went through so many things that no one should experience, not to mention the Son of God! He was flogged, had a crown of thorns put on His head, was struck on the head with a wooden staff, forced to carry a cross that was estimated to have weighed over 300 pounds, hung on a cross with nails pierced into His flesh, and later stabbed in the side with a sword. Even experiencing one of those things would be traumatizing and incredibly painful, yet Jesus endured them all.

But you know what might have hurt even more? Being the most powerful Being in the entire universe, being the Creator of us all, and being spit on, mocked at, striped of clothes, and ultimately feeling the weight of people’s unbelief in who He really is. He died because He is our King, our Messiah. It was out of the “self-interest” or “envy” of His betrayers that He was killed (Matt. 27:18).

And if you think about it, that’s why humiliation exists, huh? If we are envious of someone, we are tempted to put them down in order to feel better about ourselves. Sometimes when we hurt others by humiliating them, it’s because we are putting our needs above theirs. We’d rather get things done quickly, so we don’t phrase things the right way and it stings. We’d rather not deal with the messiness of Christ-centered relationships, so we just dump people. We’d rather think we know everything than admit that someone else is right.

On the flip side, when we are being humiliated, it’s easy for us to get upset at God or others. We don’t believe we deserve the humiliation (and we don’t when others intentionally humiliate us). But still, we can find strength to endure the times when we are humbled through seeing how Jesus responded to being humiliated. And let’s be honest, I highly doubt (and I certainly hope) that any of us will go through what Jesus went through.

Yet, through it all, Jesus was:

Self-controlled

Like He told His disciples, He could’ve sent a legion of angels there to defend Him. He had the power to destroy everyone in a single second. He could’ve revealed the deepest, darkest secrets of the people mocking Him. We might be tempted to take revenge against those who humiliate us, but instead we should follow His example and use self-control.

Silent

Now, I’m not telling you to suffer in silence if someone is hurting you. Please speak up if you are in a bad situation so that you can be helped.

However, if you are in a humbling situation, instead of getting all upset and egging on the people who are humiliating you, try Jesus’ approach of being quiet. Allow yourself to be filled with God’s love and peace instead of anger and discouragement.

Living out “Thy will be done”

Right before Jesus was arrested, He told His Father that while He would rather not suffer through all these painful things, He wanted God’s will to be done. We often pray that same prayer, yet how often do we actually believe it? Aren’t we easily swayed by our own timetables and frustrated when things don’t happen when or how we want them to?

Instead of being fixated on your plan, turn your eyes and heart to God’s plan for your life. Allow your prayer to be sincere and be open to what God wants you to do with your life.

A fact that may encourage you is that while being humiliated causes us to experience many difficult emotions, “the way you feel is a direct function of the way you think” (Psychology Today). Jesus was able to endure all those terrible things because He knew who He was (and is!). He’s Jesus, the One who will rise up again in three days, the One who will defeat the Enemy. When we remember who we are, when we find our worth in who God says we are rather than who the world defines us as, the affects of humiliation will be learning from our mistakes and solidifying who we are in Christ rather than pain, grief, or discouragement.

Today, thank Jesus for all the hardships He endured to save you. He loves you so much. When you are in humiliating situations, remember Jesus’ love for you and don’t take those harsh words of others to heart.

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:7

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:9-10

Choose the Path of Humiliation

How has pride gotten in the way of your relationship with God?

I mentioned last week that sometimes God speaks to us in a loud, booming voice, right? One you simply can’t ignore?

I had also mentioned that I have heard God speak in that way, and I thought I’d share what I believe He was showing me.

Recently, I was very stressed, feeling like I had been in a few situations that were very embarrassing. But after talking about those situations with a close family member, she suggested that perhaps God was trying to teach me about humility. I often struggle with correction, and being humble is important in order to better our relationships with others and with God. Keeping that in the back of my mind, I kept living out my life, and then this weekend our last sermon from a beloved pastor was about humility, how Jesus calls us to become humble servants like Him.

After all, He is the greatest, and even He served others. One line that the pastor said that really stood out to me was this: We need to choose the path of humiliation.

That’s what we need to choose, not just what we “allow” to happen to us. Jesus chose that path, after all. He was mocked, despised, and ultimately killed. But still, He remains holy and the One we need to worship. The One who loves us despite all that we have done to Him and continue to do through sinning.

Then, after that sermon, I led my weekly Bible study, and we were discussing gratitude and righteousness. One very wise member noted that the thing that she thinks separates her from God the most is her ego, her pride. And as she shared a bit of what she’s been struggling with lately, I realized that God was just repeating the message in bold, flashing lights, “You must become humble in order to be a true disciple of Jesus. In order to reach your full potential”.

In our society today, we emphasize being proud of who we are. We flaunt our successes and look down on others who haven’t done all we’ve done. We like feeling “good” about ourselves.

The issue with pride is that when we feel like we can do everything on our own, then we ignore the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. We think we don’t need God or anyone else, and that causes others to feel worse about themselves.

And here’s the thing, we can recognize our ultimate worth, the love God has given us, and how valuable we are without being prideful.

God wants us to have self-love. After all, He showed us how valuable we are when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

But ultimately we have to realize that the reason why we have value isn’t because of anything we did. It’s because of what Jesus did for us. It’s because of God deciding that the world needed us. It’s because we are made in God’s image.

So don’t let people tell you that you aren’t worth anything, because you are. You are loved enough to have the most powerful being in the entire universe die for you.

But that also means that when you are faced with the choice of serving or being served, you need to go the route that Jesus took. Be willing to help someone out, even when it’s not fun, rewarding, or even pleasant. It means that when you get embarrassed or feel like someone’s more accomplished than you, you just have to let those feelings go. You have to realize that even if they are more accomplished in one area of life than you, you are still just as valuable as them and you don’t have to be jealous, because God’s got His own unique plan for you that is completely different than theirs.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:2

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:10