ManagingYourBlessings.com I've have many-a-days where my world seems like it is crashing down. Seasons of life where I asked the "why me?" and "what have I done to deserve this?" questions. You know, the times in life where you just don't understand why things aren't going "your way"? If I am being honest, I have asked these questions more in my Christian life than prior to my salvation. And this just simply shouldn't be the case.

I have found, more than anything, the simple act of comparing myself to someone else has been the primary culprit in these downtrodden seasons of my life. Sure, I've compared myself to other people before, but the truth is, my main comparison of myself isn't to other people - rather it's of where I am now in my life and where I think I should be at now in my life. And the two never parallel. And to me, this trap of comparing God's plan for me and my plan for myself is even worse than comparing myself to someone else.

As I continued to get on my knees and cry out to God about the world that was seemingly falling down around me, that's when I realized what the culprit was. I had taken my eyes off of Him. And that, my dear friends, was why my world was so off kilter, why life as I knew it was crumbling down around me. But God is so good, He showed me my way of escape. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

While I don't claim to have all the answers, I can simply share what has given me freedom in this area of my life. Here are some steps I took that gave me freedom from the comparison trap. I refer back to these steps when I am tempted to fall back into my old mindset.

1. Identify it's falsehood. By calling out the falsehood of this mindset, we begin to allow God to speak directly to our hearts concerning this dangerous comparison trap. This is our first step towards rebuilding our confidence in Him.

2. Let Him heal your heart and mind. I did a lot of damage to my self-worth while trying to play God in my own life. It really caused a lot of pain and self-hatred when I allowed myself to destroy who I was with the "what ifs" of my wild imagination instead of listening to the truth of who He says I am. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

3. It's time to get real. Allow God to rebuild and restore your sense of self-worth and purpose on this earth. As He heals your heart and speaks to you the truth in love, you will find your world is no longer crashing down on you!

4. Seek partners for accountability, prayer and counseling if need be. For me, I made sure I had both an accountability partner as well as a prayer partner to help keep me on track. And for me this has worked wonders in my walk with God. It has given me the extra support I've needed time and time again on my journey to be more like Jesus.

While "perfect" balance in itself is a falsehood, healthy balance is not. I believe that if we allow God to show us who we are in Him, our lives will be less chaotic and more peaceful, essentially finding a healthy balance for every season of our life. Keep your focus on Him sweet sister, and I believe your life will be as balanced as it possibly can! Remember, don't strive for being perfect, rather strive to be in relationship with the perfect One.

I am praying for each of you,