Some of the first things you do when you want a perfect picture: You get the proper lighting, the right equipment, the right background, the right angle, and the right smile, then SNAP… SNAP… PERFECT!
Do you sometimes wish your life could be like having the perfect picture? With just the snap of a finger, your entire life would be ecstatic forever! It would consist of only happy moments! But who’s perfect are we talking about, our perfect or someone else’s?
DEFINING YOUR PICTURE
Watching television reality shows, celebrity YouTube videos, or scrolling through entertainment newsreels are just for that, entertainment. However, I believe over time, and if you’re not careful, you can begin to outline your life by what you see in them. I’m specifically talking about the area of comparisons.
“We don’t dare class or compare ourselves with some of the people who advertise themselves. In measuring themselves against each other and comparing themselves with each other, they are simply stupid.” 2 Cor. 10:12
Comparisons can be a setup for your failure. Even some of the positive things we see and read about are still only a snapshot of a life shown to us. For instance, the glitz and glamour that we see paraded before our eyes.
You might be saying, yes, I know that. But when these snapshots of other people’s lives linger in our minds, they can subtly cause us to compare aspects of our lives with theirs, which can cause us to see a distorted picture of our lives and theirs.
“Never use comparisons to judge your worth.”
PERSPECTIVE
Whether the lens or camera body is new or old, fine-tuning your lens to your camera body is crucial. Often, camera bodies are made at entirely different times. Usually, in a completely different factory, the user has to make minor adjustments to ensure getting the best image possible from that specific lens.
Our lens is our mind, and the camera body is The Word of God.
CALIBRATE YOUR LENSES
Calibrate = to check or adjust by comparison with a standard.
Because there will always be comparisons, there will also be feelings of not measuring up. But there’s hope because there is a Great Influencer who has given us a standard —The Word of God! God has already proclaimed we are a wonderful and amazing masterpiece!
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Eph.1:10
“I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well.” Ps. 139:14
God didn’t create us to be someone else!
Just as with a camera or lens, regardless of how young or old we are, we should never set ourselves in competition with a picture of what we think is genuine. A snapshot is an impression or view of something brief or temporary. Let’s fine-tune our lens and stay focused on the picture-perfect picture God has already created of us!
Thank you for journeying with me; I appreciate you! God loves you, and I do too!
Sincerely,
Jacqui
