The Thief of Joy

“Why is my house not this cute?!” I exclaimed as I wandered through my parents’ finally finished lake house. I had just taken in all the cute decorations, the crisp, clean, minimalistic furniture and paint colors, and the overwhelming sense of cozy relaxation. It was likely the cutest little place I had laid eyes on, and I found myself wanting my house to have the same feel.

Everyone in the house stopped. They just eyed me for a second, almost in disbelief.

“It is. Your house is so cute,” my mom reassured me.

“Keagan, it is. This is just new a bit different than our house,” my husband echoed.

Truth be told, I put hard work into this little lake house getting it ready for this. I helped paint, hang lights, finish out trim, lay flooring, and even created a wall-hanging for the kitchen wall. I knew it was going to be cute, and I knew I helped get it there, but in that moment, I was so very envious of the little lake house. I stood in the living room with my house a wreck, a desire to repaint, a desire to have all the cute decorations, and a desire for the fresh, clean look.

I had gotten caught in the trap of comparison.

I stood there feeling empty, sad, wanting. I stood there neglecting to remember the gift that our new was. I stood there thinking of all the things that I needed to fix for our home to be “perfect.” In that moment, I lost my joy. I wanted new paint. I wanted new decorations. I wanted all these things that, truthfully, weren’t going to be reflective of us. I sat in that moment, just processing.

After some reassurances, I remembered how beautiful my home is despite the fact that it is lived in every single day and there may be a few spots that need fresh paint. I remembered what a gift it was and how each nook and cranny showcases who we are as a family. There is some pretty, some wild, some international. There are spots that need vacuumed and dusted. There is laundry that needs to be done. But it’s ours, and it is so good for us.

What happened there was not the fact that I was jealous, but that I chose to compare my daily life to a newly finished get away. That’s not realistic, and it is in no way fun. Comparison steals our joy, and we miss the good things that God is doing in our lives. We miss the things that God has set for us while we’re busy trying to live the life he intended for someone else. That’s what got Cain into trouble. And that’s what cost Esau his birthright. They wanted what someone else had because they saw what they had was not enough.

What God gives you is enough. He has called you to live a good life that does not compare to anyone else’s. The trouble comes when we compare something that was never meant to be compared. We have to be brave enough to reject the idea that we are entitled to more. We have to be bravo enough to be content with the lives God has called us to lead. We have to quit feeling like God owes us something and instead begin to give our hearts and desires to him. We are left feeling like we’re being sold short which God says that he wants not only to give us life, but give it to us abundantly. When we are so consumed with God rather than our selfishness, it will be easy to avoid comparison.