You can climb out of the comparison trap and fear no more. Discover the 3 steps to godly freedom.

When my husband and I bought our first home, we were just 24 and head-over-heels happy. . .even though the place needed a major overhaul.

Carpenter ants had feasted on the back porch. The roof leaked. The fascia was holey, which explains why a mama raccoon and her babies had made their home in our home.

She had to go.

I just wasn’t going to share my home with another female. Once we kicked out the raccoons all was good. For a little while. Then on my walks to and from the train station I began noticing other homes: brick homes, big homes, homes with impeccable landscaping.

It bugged me that my precious little Cape Cod didn’t measure up. It wasn’t Better Homes and Gardens beautiful. Not even close, and into the comparison trap I fell and broke my neck.

My Core Fear

At the core of my comparison trap: fear.

You remember the story of Eve and the forbidden fruit. Satan in the form of a serpent – a very chatty serpent – put doubt in Eve’s mind and she believed that God was withholding something good from her and the Hubs. So she chomped.

Bad decision.

The good news is you can replace your fear with faith, your comparisons with confidence. How? Continually believe God. Warning: This is not easy. Expect Satan to tempt you to entertain fearful thoughts and to compare.

How to Defeat This Fear

To defeat this fear — that God is holding out on you — or any fear, you need a biblical plan. In a phrase: put off and put on. Here are the 3 steps:

1. Put off the fearful thought. Did you know that fear begins with a thought? Philippians 4:8 tells us that you what you are to think about: whatever is true, right, noble, pure, lovely, and admirable. Chances are, your fearful thought sounds more like: If only I had a nicer home (or better job or more money or better-behaved kids) then I’d be happy and wouldn’t worry. Take a moment now and identify one of your fearful thoughts. Ready for the next step?

2. Now put on a godly thought. For me and my house envy with a fear that God was holding back, my godly thought might be: “Yes, my cape cod needs a lot of improvement (true). I thank God that he helped us find such a good deal (also true), and if my husband and I make wise choices, we can save money to improve our home if this is God wants us to spend our (actually his) money. (Another true and lovely thought.) God is good and compassionate and treats His children lovingly. He would never intentionally hold back any good thing from my husband and me, for God is love.

3. When tempted to revert to a fearful thought, repeat steps 1 and 2 until they become a habit. Scientists you study the brain and the development of patterns are proving what the Bible has said all along. Habits matter. In fact, you become what you think. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

My friend, the excellent news is you can — in God’s strength — overcome fear or any ungodly emotion or behavior. You need to be patient and persistent, and as necessary, find someone to help you.

What is your comparison trap? Please leave a comment.

With Joy Overflowing!