Latest / HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN® / Comparison Is Killing Your Calling — Stop Looking Sideways: Following Jesus in Real Life Series

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Comparison Is Killing Your Calling — Stop Looking Sideways: Following Jesus in Real Life Series · HAVE FAITH LET IT BEGIN®

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  Following Jesus isn't about having all the answers.
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  It's about trusting God one step at a time. Welcome to Following Jesus in Real
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  Life. It's a special series from Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  My name is Angel, and together, we'll have honest conversations about faith,
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  doubt, hope, grace, and what it truly means to follow Christ,
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  not just on Sundays, but every single day.
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  Have Faith, Let It Begin starts right now.
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  Welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin. This is Ariel Santana.
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  Can you believe I'm seven years old already? I'm old enough now to introduce my dad.
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  Ladies and gentlemen, your host, my dad, Angel Santana.
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  Two thousand came and the spark was lit.
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  Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Have Faith, Let It Begin.
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  I'm Angel Santana. Let me ask you a question.
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  Have you ever looked at someone else's life and thought, I wish I had what they have?
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  Maybe it's their career, their family, their ministry, their talents,
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  their finances, or maybe it's their faith.
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  In today's world we're consistently looking at everyone else's highlight reel
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  while quietly criticizing our own behind the scenes life,
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  today's episode is called comparison is killing your calling and i believe it's
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  one of the greatest spiritual battles battles christians face today,
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  So let's do the heart check.
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  Comparison usually begins innocently.
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  We admire someone. We appreciate their gifts. We celebrate their success.
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  But somewhere along the way, admiration becomes envy. Gratitude becomes frustration.
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  Contentment becomes dissatisfaction.
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  Instead of thinking or thanking God for what he's doing in our lives,
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  we begin wondering why our story doesn't look like someone else's.
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  Let's talk about that. The danger of comparison isn't just that it steals your joy.
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  It steals your focus.
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  It steals your focus when you're consistently watching someone else's journey.
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  You stop walking your own.
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  God never asked you to become someone else. He created you with your own personality,
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  your own gifts, your own experiences, your own story,
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  and your own calling.
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  No one else can fulfill the purpose God has prepared specifically for you.
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  So let's look at a biblical perspective. Throughout scripture,
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  God called ordinary people to extraordinary purposes.
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  Moses wasn't Aaron. David wasn't Samuel. And Peter wasn't John.
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  Paul wasn't Barnabas. Each person had different strengths, different personalities,
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  and different assignments.
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  Yet God used each of them in a very unique way.
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  Their effectiveness came not from trying to imitate someone else,
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  but from faithfully following the calling God had given them.
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  So let me give you my personal perspective, my reflection.
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  I can't tell you how many times and how many there have been moments in my life
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  where I looked at other ministries, other speakers, other podcasters and thought,
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  maybe I should be doing what they're doing because it's not working.
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  I'm not getting the attraction. I'm not.
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  But over time, I realized something. I realized something important.
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  God didn't ask me to become another person.
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  He asked me to be faithful with the opportunities he's placed in front of me.
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  Have faith let it begin wasn't an accident.
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  It's here. When I stopped comparing and started trusting, I found a greater
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  peace and a renewed sense of purpose.
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  The same is true for all of us.
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  We need to live this out. Maybe today, you've been measuring your life against someone else's.
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  Can I encourage you to stop looking sideways?
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  Instead, look upward. Ask God, what have you called me to do?
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  You can say that to him. What have you called me to do? Not everyone is called to preach.
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  Not everyone is called to sing. Not everyone is called to lead ministry.
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  But every follower of Jesus is called to faithfully serve where God has placed them.
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  Faithfulness, not fame.
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  Faithfulness not fame is what good yeah give me one second what god honors,
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  so together noah and i have a faith challenge for you today spend a few minutes
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  a few moments thanking god for gifts opportunities and relationships,
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  he's already given you many opportunities okay noah's sitting on my lap hold on here we go lord.
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  How do we say this lord how can I faithfully use what you're already placed in my hands.
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  Instead of comparing yourself to someone else, commit to becoming a person or
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  the person that God created you to be.
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  Here's a closing thought. Someone else's success does not diminish your purpose.
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  God has never confused your name with anyone else's. He knows exactly who you are.
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  He knows exactly where you are. Can I go see the cats? You can go,
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  yes, we will do that in a second.
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  And he has a purpose that belongs to you alone.
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  Yeah, we're going to walk in it.
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  We're going to trust in him and leave the comparisons behind. Can you do that?
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  Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for creating each of us with a purpose.
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  Forgive us for the times we've allowed comparison to steal our joy and distract
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  us from the calling you've placed on your lives.
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  Help us to celebrate others without losing sight of the unique work that you're doing in us.
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  And teach us to be faithful with you.
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  Teach us to be faithful with what you've entrusted to us.
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  May we find confidence, not in comparing ourselves to others,
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  but in knowing that we are loved, we're chosen, and we're called by you.
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  In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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  Can you say amen? Yes. Say amen. Amen.
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  Here's today's takeaway. Comparison steals your joy, but calling gives you purpose.
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  Thank you for joining me for episode four of the following Jesus in real life. And remember.
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  God didn't create you to compete with someone else. He created you to faithfully
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  become who he designed you to be.
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  So you know what we're going to do, Noah? We're going to keep walking.
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  We're going to keep walking. We're going to keep trusting. Yes.
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  We're going to keep believing.
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  Okay. And never forget. And never do that.
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  Have faith. Let it begin. Let it begin. Join us tomorrow for another episode.
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  It's episode five of 10, learning to hear God's voice. We're going to recognize
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  his guidance in the midst of the life of noise.
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  And we'll talk about one of the questions that every Christian asks at some
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  point. Let's go and do that. Come on, let's go move the cars.
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  How do I know when God is speaking to me? We'll explore practical ways to become
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  more attentive to his leading through scripture, prayer, wise counsel,
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  and the quiet work of the Holy Spirit.
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  I got to go move cars for my little son, Noah.
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  God bless you. And we'll see you tomorrow. Take care. Say hasta la pasca. Hasta la pasca.