Have you ever struggled with comparison in your writing? Have you ever asked the question: How is my writing any different than what’s already been written?
In this episode of our Breakthrough series CJand I are going to help you asKingdom Writers overcome this obstacle of comparison. What makes this series different than most training for writers is that we integrate the dynamite of scripture and prayer to help you breakthrough the obstacles holding you back.
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Notes from this episode:
- We sometimes look at bestsellers and see them as what a book is supposed to be…what my book should be.
- “Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Teddy Roosevelt
- Imagine if basketball players said, “I can’t top LeBron James or Michael Jordan, so I’ll just quit. Every player offers something unique in the talent they’ve been given.
- Galatians 6:4-5 – “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. We are each responsible for our own conduct.”
- *Tip #1) Turn off social media or mute certain people you’re tempted to fall into a comparison trap with.
- *Tip #2) Focus on your own strengths
- *Tip #3) Focus on the blessings God has given rather than any negatives in your life. Power of gratitude and a daily gratitude journal or practice of some kind.
- *Tip #4) Avoid mindlessly scrolling through social media as much as possible. This often leads to depression & jealousy
- *Tip #5) Don’t compare another person’s “outsides” to your “insides” or their “highlight reel” to your “blooper reel” or their “middle” to your “beginning.”
- *Tip #6) Be intentional about celebrating others’ success.
- *Tip #7) Pray for those you find yourself comparing to
- Hebrews 12:2a TPT – “We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection.”
- Each of us has a measure of talent & gifting + a unique experience God wants to use for His glory.
- No one has been left out. We have ALL been given gifts to be used for the kingdom of God.
- In the kingdom, there is no competition, we’re on the same team.
- “A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.” Zen Shin
Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)
The truth:
Galatians 6:4-5 – “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. We are each responsible for our own conduct.”
Prayer to Overcome the Comparison Trap in Your Writing
Transcript of the prayer:
The second area or the second obstacle that we want to break through is the obstacle of comparison. What we mean by this is that it’s already been done. How is what I’m writing any different than what’s already been written before?
Looking at best sellers and seeing their stuff as the standard that your book is supposed to be as well. It’s just this whole thing of comparison and looking at others. Of course, we even see this dynamic multiplied with our social media. Can we get an amen?
Have you guys read that book by Beth Moore “Praying God’s Word”? It is powerful. When we combine God’s word with prayer, it becomes like dynamite. And that’s what we’re doing today with these scriptures that CJ has come up with.
So, Lord, we’re coming to you with Galatians 6:4-5 which says, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. We are each responsible for our own conduct.”
Lord, we ask that this would be us as well, that we wouldn’t need to compare ourselves to anyone else. But we would always look to you like our standard and also to you as the giver of any content or anything that we write.
And as verse five says, for we are each responsible for our own conduct. So, Lord, I ask that each of us would truly be able to rest in the fact that we are responsible for our own conduct. Help us not to look to the left or to the right, at other people and try to copy or compare ourselves. Or even feel ourselves slinking backward because we just don’t measure up to this author or that bestseller.
Lord, I pray against the whole spirit of comparison. Even in the spirit of Hebrews 12:2, which is keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith.
Lord, I ask that each of us would fix our eyes on Jesus to such a degree that we don’t even sense a need to compare. We just have our eyes fixed on you and we are coming to you for all of the inspiration that you want to give us in terms of what you want us to write.
Whatever it may be, we come to you as our source and we don’t look to human beings as our source. You alone. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Yes, we just take authority right now over that spirit of comparison. We break it off each person listening right now in Jesus’ name.
And I pray, God, you would flood each person right now with joy and excitement of what you have called them to specifically do in their writing.
The picture that God gave me is that we are each a different flower. We’re each a different plant. We are each a different color, a different variety. And there’s a quote that says, “A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it. It just blooms.”
I just saw each one of you, each one of us just blooming in the gifts, in the abilities, in what God is doing through us with his spirit, blooming in joy, having joy and enjoying the process.
Lord, we just thank you that we can bloom and that we don’t have to compete. There’s no competition in the Kingdom of God. It’s about collaboration. We’re all on the same team. We just pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Free Download: 15 Prayers for Christian Writers
Download the PDF transcript of all 15 Prayers for Christian Writers, here:
https://www.trainingauthors.com/breakthrough/
Share Your Breakthroughs
Share what impacted you from this post and any breakthroughs God gave you as a result in the comments below.
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