We See Their Strengths

I have asked myself those questions before. A lot actually. I have really, truly, wondered “Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes? Can I really do this?” An analogy came to my mind a little while ago that helped me make more sense of my life. I have an acquaintance that I really admire and look up to. This person is amazing. I’m grateful for this person in my life, but I wonder why she’s the way she is and why I am the way I am. Sometimes when we know people that are super amazing it makes us question whether or not we are also amazing ourselves.

Comparing Myself

So, the analogy that I came up with to compare myself and this person is that she is like a Swiss Army Knife. She has all the tools. She’s compact, efficient, and completely capable in any circumstance, she’s got toothpicks, she’s got scissors, she’s got knives. This girl can whip out her gifts and her talents in almost any situation and shine. And it’s amazing! She’s amazing!

And then the comparison that I came up with to apply to myself was that…I am a spork. I’m a spork!. My conclusion was that I’m just a spork and she’s a Swiss Army Knife. She’s got it all together, and she’s completely capable–all the time. And I’m a spork. I can be either a spoon or a fork, and I’m not really good at being a spoon, and I’m not really good at being a fork. But I can be both. Just not very well. 

This way of thinking kind of gave me a pass on needing to be amazing. I figured that God gives everyone different gifts and I’ll just take mine and be a spork, and that’s fine. I’ll just be a spork, she’ll be a Swiss Army Knife, and everybody will be grateful. That’s just what I’ll have to live with.

Comparing Others

Then a few weeks passed and I had someone text me who was really struggling and suffering with comparing themselves to others. I could really identify with this person, having similar feelings myself. So, I made a little comparison for them too. I told them “Well, you’re a monster truck, and the person you’re comparing yourself to is a pair of scissors.”

Monster trucks are awesome, but they’re not as useful in everyday life. There’s not a constant need for a monster truck. It’s just not as consistent in usefulness or amazement. But, on the other hand, a pair of scissors is needed and used all the time. The world would be greatly lacking if we didn’t have scissors. We use them all the time.

And I really believed this. I was really trying to talk up the amazingness of monster trucks. And that the other person is great too, as a pair of scissors. Both are very different, and you can’t really compare them to each other because they are so very different, and useful in very different ways and different circumstances.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

But I realized that I got sucked into the comparison trap. I got sucked into it, I really did, and I was comparing myself to someone I know. And then I was comparing this other person to someone else also. In the short term, I felt better with the comparison and being able to make sense of things. 

But as I have really been thinking about judgment, and about being good enough and smart enough, and having what it takes, I think that the real lesson for me is this. There are times when I’m not good enough, and times when I don’t have what it takes. But it really doesn’t matter, because with my Savior, Jesus Christ, I am good enough and I have what it takes when I walk with Him in faith and have Him by my side. And you are good enough, too, and you have what it takes. So, please stop comparing yourself to others.

Be What You Are

I really think that is one of the purposes of this life, to realize that we don’t have it all. We can’t be and do everything on our own. But with Him, we can. So we don’t need to judge ourselves against others. We just need to be what we can with the gifts and talents that we have, and then allow the Savior and His grace to be in our lives, to help us to be enough, and to help us see our worth and to help us live our best life. 

You don’t need to compare. We’re all awesome. And even if I more fully resemble a spork than a Swiss Army Knife, I have the gifts and talents that God wants me to have in this life and I can make the best with them that I can and I can be happy with it. So, the next time you’re wondering about your worth, stop comparing yourself to others and consider how much more your life can be if you let the Savior help you. He can help you expand on the gifts and talents that you have so you can become who you want to be.