My Baby is Better Than Yours!

It started out when we were old enough to compare our piece of the chocolate cake to the one given to the child next to us, then it was your grade at school compared to another child’s grade, your art work compared to someone else’s, your body shape compared to someone else’s, your wedding compared to someone else’s and now (at least for me) it is my child compared to everyone else's.

I didn’t realize at first that it was what I was doing until I realized I was becoming dissatisfied with my own baby.

Why is he not as friendly as other babies? Why is he not sleeping/eating/sitting/growing as well as the other babies?

But then I realized that there was also the other side of it too.

Consoling myself with the thought that "at least my baby has a tooth", or thinking that "my baby may not make friends with everyone he meets, but at least he is smart" were not good thoughts either!

This attitude of comparison is not what God wants in us: “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (1 Cor. 10:12)

It is not wise to do it in our spiritual lives (except to compare ourselves to Christ!) and it is definitely not a good idea to do it about the things of this world!

Instead I should focus on how to raise my child in God’s way. Seeing only flaws in him as compared to scripture and reminding myself that I should praise and thank God for each good thing that I see in my little boy. From his little tooth, to his shy smile, to his dimpled fingers, thank you God for my little boy!