When you have little children around, you will often learn more from them than you could attempt to teach.
Warming up for the resumption of school in September, we bought school bags for Dee and Jay.
Dee’s bag is a simple satchel – nice leather without any design, while Jay got a small backpack, colorful for his age. With disappointment in his voice, Dee pouts, “Well, all I can say is thanks for the bag, but it’s ugly,” and had his eyes on Jay’s tiny backpack.
Rubbing it in, Jay wore his with enthusiasm, refusing to take it off all day. He even went to bed with it.
We tried to convince Dee that he has a really cool bag, and we got that type for him because it was recommended by his school. After minutes of effort in making him see that his bag is just different, but not inferior, in my mind I was like, ‘Woo, if you don’t gerrit, forgerrit.’
Don’t we often act like Dee? Comparing ourselves to others – believing that someone else is better, whereas we are just different. Doesn’t the grass always look greener on the other side?
Based on his design and intent, God uniquely fashions us to come in different sizes, colours, shapes, gender, personality types, races, locations, and families – suited for our purposes and destinies.
Apostle Paul was blunt about his thoughts on this issue when speaking to brethren in Corinthians, “…but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”
While it’s perfectly healthy to aspire to be better tomorrow than we are today, I take to heart Apostle Paul’s note to Timothy in his first book – “but godliness with contentment is great gain.”