The Grass is Always Greener...

FYou know how sometimes, after reading a challenging book, listening to a good sermon, or just seeing someone else do better than you, you get that drive to do something better than what you're already doing?  You think, "Hey!  I'm going to start a small group at my church without thinking about it at all beforehand because I can do better than I'm doing now!  And I'm going to get all my school for the week done in one day because one of my friends did it!  And I'm going to make our praise band as good as Fee in one week, and put on the Hallelujah Carnival, and while I'm at it, why don't I feed all the starving kids in Africa and make world peace!!"  And you're doing good for the first day.  But on the second, you remind yourself to do it again, but after you've been awake for about an hour, you forget all about it and sit and watch TV (or, in my case, waste all your time on Facebook).  Then you get discouraged and start thinking that you're a terrible person because you can't do everything that so and so does.

But why are we always trying to be like someone else?  We try to fix our hair like celebrities, we judge our houses and rooms and yards on what's in Better Homes and Gardens, we think we aren't good enough because someone else is better at math or singing or writing or *insert activity here* than us.

Don't get me wrong... there's nothing wrong with trying to make yourself better.  We should all try to be the best that we can, but not anymore than that.  We shouldn't try to push ourselves to be like someone else, God gave everyone special talents that are unique to us.  The fact of the matter is, we can't be anyone but who we are.  You can try, but you'll have a miserable life living in someone else's shadow.

So, next time you think the grass is greener somewhere else, or you're not good enough, remember that God has made you this way and placed you where you are for a reason.  In the words of Veggie Tales, "Remember, God made you special and he loves you very much!"