Do Your Creative Best

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

- Galatians 6.4-5

We all have a serious challenge set before us, don't we? We are charged with the big responsibility of finding who we are and then using those talents to the best creative ability of ourselves. It is quite a journey to undertake, and so full of goodness because it is about finding what you are best at and discovering ways to do good with it.

Then the warning comes. The reminder of our frailties. Do not compare yourself with others, which is the trap we so easily fall into. Nothing good will come of comparing yourself to another person. There truly is no way to win in comparison. Your paths are so different. Your talents vary. Your strengths are not the same. Don't compare yourself with others, but expand beyond yourself so that you appreciate other people's strengths, successes, and dreams, knowing that you have your own as well.

You were given specific qualities and talents. Sink yourself into those, thinking about how you can utilize each quality in your every day to help or encourage others. If you compare yourself to others, you are too busy looking at yourself and what you don't have rather than looking toward those out there who can use someone like you.

Let encouragement be our initial response and not comparison.