I was talking with #1 son over the weekend. He was telling me about the latest discussion in youth; comparing ourselves to others. Ah yes, I know that topic well, as I'm sure most of us do. We look at the people in our world, on our social media avenues, and consider all the ways we seem to be failing by comparison. As we chatted, I told him that most people see life as a line of people all racing toward the same finish line. Some started sooner than us, others later than us, but inevitably we all are headed in the same direction. Running headlong into our future regardless of how long or short it may be. Deciding who is ahead and behind along the way.
I told my son that in reality, life is more like a chess board. Each piece can do something a little different because of who it is, where it resides on the board, what point you are at in the game and the player's strategy. We are like chess pieces on a board being moved into, and out of position, as needed. At times a piece may be active, moving often, covering great distances. Other pieces may appear stagnant or forgotten, moving only a few times during a game.
We cannot compare ourselves to each other. We do not have the same qualities. We cannot move through life in exactly the same way. We need to learn about who we are, what makes our position on the board unique. Although we see things moving around us all the time, we have to trust that we are moved skillfully by the One who can see the whole board and knows how to use our strengths to fulfill the strategy.
Proverbs 18:16 - A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
Just think about it.
I told my son that in reality, life is more like a chess board. Each piece can do something a little different because of who it is, where it resides on the board, what point you are at in the game and the player's strategy. We are like chess pieces on a board being moved into, and out of position, as needed. At times a piece may be active, moving often, covering great distances. Other pieces may appear stagnant or forgotten, moving only a few times during a game.
We cannot compare ourselves to each other. We do not have the same qualities. We cannot move through life in exactly the same way. We need to learn about who we are, what makes our position on the board unique. Although we see things moving around us all the time, we have to trust that we are moved skillfully by the One who can see the whole board and knows how to use our strengths to fulfill the strategy.
Proverbs 18:16 - A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
Just think about it.
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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests to made known to God. — Philippians 4:6