Comparing is a pretty negative word in Christian circles.

And for good reason.

It usually leads us to bitterness when we see someone out there who seems to have more going for them than we do or it leads to pride when we see that we are better off than someone else.

Neither is good.

But this Thanksgiving that’s exactly what I want to challenge you to do.

Compare.

Tomorrow as you sit around with your family eating a good ol’ turkey instead of counting your blessings as you usually do take some time to stop and look side to side to the people in the world around you and see how you measure up to them.

As you do maybe you will find that some good can come out of checking out our neighbor’s yard to see if their grass is greener.

And maybe when you wake up the next morning you’ll think twice about complaining about all those regular things that you complain about.

So let’s begin here and now.

Let’s start comparing.

Compare yourself to the many people around the world who have sat in prison cells, who have been tortured, and who have been ridiculed and persecuted for practicing their faith.

And maybe you’ll be thankful for the fact that you can openly attend a church and be part of a community of faith no matter how imperfect it may be.

Compare yourself to the homeless people living under the bridge who don’t remember the last time they had a roof over their head and a warm meal to eat.

And maybe you’ll be thankful for the home you live in even if it’s not in the nicest neighborhood, even if it’s not thousands of square feet, and even if it doesn’t look as nice as someone else’s that you know.

Compare yourself to the people who aren’t educated enough to read this very post that you can easily read because going to school past the third grade is a distant faraway dream for them.

And maybe you’ll be thankful that you have that ten page essay to write that keeps you up all night and those kids that seem to always need help with their math homework (which you have a hard time understanding yourself).

Compare yourself to that orphan child living in poverty stricken land who has never been held in the arms of a father and mother, who has never been told that someone out their loves her, and who has never felt hope for what the future might bring.

And maybe you’ll be thankful for the brothers and sisters that annoy you sometimes, for the parents that don’t understand you, and for the children that don’t listen because at the end of the day you have a place to belong with people who love you.

Compare yourself to the man living in the middle of a village deep in the jungle who has never heard about God and lives each day without meaning and purpose. Without having any faith in an Almighty God to take care of him. Without having any hope for where he’ll go when he takes his last breath.

And maybe you’ll be thankful that you have a personal relationship with a God that you know will never abandon you. That your hope is secure always because you believe in a Savior who paid the price for your sin. That you get to live each day with strength knowing that you don’t face a single minute alone.

This Thanksgiving I dare you to compare.

I dare you to take a look around at the people living in this world.

I dare you to open your eyes to see that maybe you have a lot more blessings to count than you think.

That no matter how hard your life is today there’s someone out there who would trade places with you in a heartbeat.

That even when it seems like nothing is going for you that when you have Christ in your heart that’s all that you need.

I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving with your families tomorrow! Don’t forget to be grateful for all that you have in Christ. Be blessed!  –Anna… ♥

“I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” –Psalm 7:17

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20 Comments on Thanksgiving: the best time to look around

    • Amen! God deserves thanks and glory every single day! The fact that we have breath in our lungs is already a reason to thank Him, everything else is an extra blessing on top of that!

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  5. Anna, this is fabulous. It definitely put some things into perspective for me. Too often we forget that many people are living a completely different life full of much larger trials we can’t even comprehend. Thank you for helping me see my blessings more fully. Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! ☺

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    • Thanks Marla! I’m glad this post helped you see from a new perspective. We should never compare but sometimes it’s good to put yourself in someone else’s shoes to help yourself see that your life, as hard as it may seem at the moment has so many more blessings than you think when compared to other people’s in the world. I hope you have a blessed day!

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  6. We have so much to be thankful for Anna. God has done so much for us and all we need to do is look at someone else to see that. Like you said, we may think we don’t have it all and we are not yet there but we still need to thank God for all He has given us and where we are because there are people who are really suffering!
    We MUST thank God everyday because He has been so good to us and continues to be good…..
    Being thankful must be a lifestyle and the comparing you talked about needs to be a continuous thing! We can never lose sight of what God is doing for us! Thank you Anna for a really challenging post.
    Happy Thanksgiving to you!!!
    We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Africa but I will be more thankful today!!! 😄

    God bless you

    Rolain

    Reply

    • Amen Rolain! Every day comes with blessings of its own. I’m sure if we were to sit down and write out what we can thank God for we wouldn’t be able to stop. From the air we breathe, to the food on our table, to the roof over our head, to the people in our lives… all these things seem like the basics and we take them for granted yet so many people all around the world aren’t lucky enough to have these simple things that we don’t think twice about. May we all continue to cultivate a grateful heart every single day so that our praises to God never stop. Have a blessed day!

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  7. Timely Reminder! Every around me was reminding me how wrong my family was! Financially, no self worth what so ever! I thank God for your article! I was so broken. I read your email earlier and I guessed you would have come up with a new one! Comparing with others..Jesus saved me! I need no other argument! He died for me. He chose me! God bless you sister!

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    • Amen Daniel. It doesn’t matter what people say to or about you that makes you feel broken and worthless because your worth is found in Jesus and the price He paid for you on the cross. Keep on clinging to Him and trusting His truth about you in His Word and He’ll help you stay strong and full of faith in Him. Be blessed!

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    • That’s awesome Betty! It’s always good when we think about our past and realize that we have grown in Christ! May you always continue growing to be even more like Him every single day!

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