"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness." Psalm 89:15-16 (NIV)

Do you suffer from spiritual comparison syndrome? It might sound like this:

“I wish I could pray like Susie … She seems to have a direct line to heaven.”
“If only I could memorize the Bible like Jen … She recites entire chapters at a time.”
“I’ll never journal artistically in my Bible like Fatima … She creates the most beautiful art.”
“At least I'm keeping up with my Scripture reading plan … Rhonda is two weeks behind.”

When we compare our spiritual habits to others’, we can feel inferior and discouraged or prideful and accomplished, but the result is the same: Our hearts become distant from God’s presence.

But when we look closely, we learn there is no one-size-fits-all devotional formula prescribed in the Bible. God created each of us with unique personalities, learning styles, strengths and experiences, and as our loving Creator, He welcomes us to bring our whole selves to Him in worship.

We see this principle in Psalm 89:15-16, which reads: “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.”

Throughout Israel’s history, worship leaders wrote psalms and taught the people new songs of praise to celebrate the Lord during temple worship services. But their worship extended beyond the temple courts — the people were to “walk in the light of [His] presence … all day long” (Psalm 89:15-16).

Whether they were farmers singing as they plowed, weavers praying at the loom, or midwives praising God as new life was born, they were to actively learn and practice new ways of rejoicing in the Lord.

What would our lives look like if we adopted this growth mindset in our relationship with Jesus? What if, instead of comparing our spiritual habits to others, we asked God’s Spirit to teach us to praise Him the way He made us?

For example, my stick-figure doodles in the margins of my Bible will never impress Pinterest, but that’s OK. I feel closest to God while quietly watching a sunset and digging deep into theology.

Imagine celebrating our sisters and brothers in Christ instead of suffering that dreaded comparison!

We can thank the Bible enthusiast in our small group whose knowledge gives us something to ponder during the week.

We can lean on that prayer warrior when we need someone to support us through a family crisis.

We can appreciate those whose gifts are different than ours, and we can embrace the unique way God created us to worship Him, delighting in Him all day long.

Heavenly Father, thank You for creating us so differently. Teach us how to delight in Your presence all day long. We turn from our comparisons, and we long to celebrate what You are doing in each of us. Help us, Holy Spirit! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it” (ESV).

What’s one way you can cheer on a sister or brother in Christ who is different from you? How can you celebrate your differences and lean into how God created both of you to connect with Him? 

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

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