Tag Archives: Christian teen

Replacing the Poison of Gossip with Power of the Gospel

Have you ever been the victim of gossip? Have you ever been the initiator or participant in gossip? 

For me, middle school was the pinnacle of gossip’s temptation. I was always the girl on the outside looking into the shiny world of girl cliques and clubs, wishing I could somehow be granted entrance into their inner circle.

One night, I received a phone call from one of the “insiders.” Elated, I picked up the phone, honored to be the recipient of such a coveted phone call. The girl on the other end started saying mean things about another girl who, from my perspective, was also on the inside. 

My mind raced at the possibilities… “I thought they were friends… But maybe she’s out, and I’m in now!” “Is this the right of passage into their world?” The girl who called me asked me my opinion, and in that moment, instead of exiting the conversation, changing the subject, or defending the other girl, I gossiped. 

My idol of acceptance and fear of man flowed from my heart and out of my mouth. For a brief moment, I felt good. I was finally receiving insider information and not only receiving but contributing! She wanted my opinion! 

Suddenly, another voice chimed in with, “I’m here too, and this was a test to see what you would say about me.” 

All those warm fuzzy feelings of acceptance slipped away as I realized I had fallen into their trap… I had never felt more outside than at that moment. 

Gossip Reveals the Heart

Gossip is relational and spiritual poison. Gossip is not neutral because our conversation is connected to our hearts.

We see this concept in Scripture: 

Psalm 19:14 (ESV)

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Luke 6:45 (ESV)

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil… for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

These passages show us that gossip reveals what’s already in our hearts– our treasures, our meditations, our gods. If we are consumed with the desire to fit in, be accepted, be the best, or secure our place, gossip will naturally follow. 

Gossip Effects Relationships

Friendships built on gossip are not healthy or biblical. Consider some of the effects gossip has on relationships: 

  • Fear: Will they talk about me when I’m not around? Is my reputation really safe with them?
  • Insecurity: What would they do if they saw my flaws?  I need to hide the ugly parts of myself to keep their approval. 
  • Distrust: Would they be my friend if I didn’t talk this way? I can’t trust them to keep my secrets.
  • Dishonesty: Should I exaggerate this story to make them more interested? Should I share information told to me in confidence? I can’t tell the whole truth to others or be trusted with information.
  • Anxiety: Will I lose these friendships? Does anyone really know me? Do I have any true friends? Are my friendships helping me grow to be more like Jesus? What if she finds out what I said about her?

The only way to overcome gossip and grow godly friendships is to know what God says about gossip and ask Him to transform us. 

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” 

Here is a working definition of gossip from Ephesians 4:29: 

Gossip definition: “Speaking about someone in a way that is corrupting, destructing, unfitting, and/or grace resisting.” 

Gossip Doesn’t Make “Sense”

Based on Ephesians 4:29, let’s consider each adjective to see if gossip makes “sense.” Do you know what the 5 senses are?  

  1. Corrupting (taste):  “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths…” 

The Greek word for corrupting used here means “rotten” or  “decaying” and carries the idea of rotten fruit or bad fish. 

→ Ask yourself:

  • “How do my words taste?”
  • “Is the fruit of my mouth rotten or fresh?” 

If you were serving your words to their subject, how would she think they taste? Rotten or sweet? Fresh or bad? 

  1. Destructing (touch): “But only what is good for building up”

This describes only using a constructive pattern of speech (building up) while gossip is destructive (tearing someone down). 

Our words touch lives. Each word acts as a hand with a hammer, wielding its power to help or harm others. 

→ Ask yourself:

  • “Will what I am about to say build up the person in the minds of my hearers or tear them down?” 

Again, this is not neutral. Our words either build up or tear down— there is no middle ground.

Are you touching a person’s name and reputation with care? 

  1. Unfitting (sight): “as fits the occasion” 

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Prov 25:11

→ Ask yourself:

  • Is what I am about to say necessary and helpful?
  • Will it be like a beautiful gem added to this conversation? 

How do your words look to their beholders? Shiny and luminous or dull and dim? 

NOTE: The qualification for talking about others is not that what you are going to say is true. Slander is speaking falsely about someone to destroy their character while gossip is speaking in a way that tears someone down (even if it’s true)! 

Wisdom withholds words to preserve the reputation of others while foolishness says everything that comes to mind to protect and promote oneself.

  1. Grace-resisting (sound): “that it may give grace to those who hear”

→ Ask yourself:

  • “Is what I’m about to say true, filled with grace, and coming from a heart  of love for the person?”
  •  “Is what I’m about to say a reflection of the grace I’ve been shown through the gospel?”

Speaking truth to someone should always be for the purpose of giving grace from a heart of love.

Speaking something that is true but not grace-filled cannot be sourced in love. 

Every word you say carries more sound than just syllables. The tone, intention, and direction deliver either gospel dissonance or resonance to the hearer. 

  1. Gospel Connection (smell): “give off the aroma of Christ”

Ask yourself… 

  • Do my words smell like Jesus? 

Ephesians 5:2 (ESV)
 “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God

2 Corinthians 2:15 (ESV)
 “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

Luke 6:27-36 [27] “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, [28] bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you… [31] And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Jesus fulfilled his words perfectly. He loved his enemies—including you and me—by offering himself on the cross. 

Jesus never gossiped about the Pharisees, Judas, or Peter despite their plots and betrayals. He never gossiped about the prostitutes, the woman at the well, or the tax collectors despite their checkered pasts.

Jesus extended words of grace, not gossip at the cross, asking the Father to forgive his murderers and accepting the theif’s plea for mercy.

Ask yourself… 

  • OR do my words smell like self-righteousness and idolatry?

Self-righteousness 

John 8:7 (ESV)

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

When we see others lost in their sins, we should be moved to compassion and mercy because of the great mercy Christ has shown to us. 

We are all equal at the cross, but gossip betrays mercy by elevating you above the cross. 

Gossip exposes and exploits people while Christ covers and cares for people. 

Matthew 7:3–5 (ESV)

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Instead of gossiping about someone else’s faults, use what you have seen in them to drive you to Spirit-dependent prayer and repentance. 

Our first step should not be asking God to change them but for Him to change us. 

Idolatry

What is driving your gossip? Consider the list below, and ask the Spirit to identify which of these idols may be motivating you to gossip about others. 

Our Idols, Gossip, and the Gospel

→ Envy says, “If I can’t have what they have, I want to destroy it in them”

Envy drives us to tear others down in an effort to build ourselves up.

The gospel frees us to praise God for his goodness and glory reflected by others.

→ Fear of man says, “I have to tear people down to fit in or be liked,” “I have to let others gossip to me or they might reject me,” “I’m afraid they might gossip about me if I don’t gossip with them (so twisted), so I better secure my place in the group”

Fear of man drives us to secure acceptance and approval at the cost of others. 

The gospel frees to rest in God’s acceptance and approval of us through Christ.

→ Achievement says, “Everyone is competition, and I can appear to be better than others by tearing them and their accomplishments down” 

Achievement drives us to objectify others as competition that needs to be beaten.  

The gospel frees us to cease from striving and join arms with others for kingdom purposes.

→ Control says, “I love the way I hold the attention and affection of others when I share information,” “I can get what I desire (acceptance of me and rejection of others) through gossip,” “This piece of information is too good not to share,” “I get to decide what I do with my words and tongue,” “I love that I have the power to create drama, stand back, and watch friendships or relationships burn” 

Control drives us to use our words as we see fit, disregarding the stewardship God has entrusted to us.

The gospel frees us to release our perceived control, submitting everything we possess to God’s perfect will.

So what do you do when you’re stuck in a gossip circle or cycle? 

Practical tips for fighting gossip:

  1. Pray: The Spirit gives us the power to overcome our sin!

Verse to pray: 

“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;

keep watch over the door of my lips!” — Psalm 141:3

  1. Repent: Repentance stops the cycle of sin by taking us before the throne of grace and reminding us of the gospel.

 Verses to pray: 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” —1 John 2:1 

  1. Ask for forgiveness: Forgiveness restores us to our sisters after we sin against them with our words. This extends both to the sister you gossiped about and the sisters you gossiped to or with.

Verses on Asking for Forgiveness from others:

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed…”
— James 5:16

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother…”
— Matthew 5:23–24

  1. Get in the Word: The Word renews our minds and transforms our lives! Remind yourself how God thinks about gossip, and think his thoughts after him.

Verses on Gossip:

“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” — Proverbs 16:28

“Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.” — Proverbs 11:13

“For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.” — Proverbs 26:20

“Whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”  — Proverbs 10:19

“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”  — Proverbs 17:9

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” — Proverbs 18:21

“Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.” — 1 Tim 5:13 

They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. —Rom 1:20-32

  1. Practice thankfulness, mercy-showing, and biblical confrontation: When we put off gossip, we must put on a new way of speaking! 

Thankfulness:

(1 Thess 5:18, Matt 5:44)

Thank the Lord for the person you are tempted to gossip about.

Mercy-showing:

(Eph 4:32, Lk 6:36, Jn 8:7)

When you are tempted to be critical of others, remember the mercy God has shown you in Christ and extend that mercy in the place of criticism. 

Biblical Confrontation:

(Mt 18:15, Eph 4:15, Gal 6:1)

 If someone is truly sinning and needs to be confronted, don’t discuss her sin with others; instead, approach her directly with the goal of lovingly restoring her to Christ.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Which of the effects of gossip have you experienced in relationships (Fear, Insecurity, Distrust, Dishonesty, or Anxiety)? Why do you think you feel these things? 
  2. How does analyzing your words with the 5 senses (taste, smell, look, sound, and touch others) help you visualize their effects? Which of these was the most convicting to you and why? What do you need to change about your words, so they smell like Jesus?
  3. What idol do you think motivates you to gossip: envy, fear of man, achievement, or control? How does the gospel speak to your idol? 
  4. How do you overcome gossip? Which of the first 4 practical tips (prayer, repentance, getting in the Word, and asking for forgiveness) are you not doing, and how do you plan to change? 
  5. Which type of “put on” speech (thankfulness, mercy-showing, or biblical confrontation) is the hardest for you… Do you tend to find yourself complaining, critical, or avoiding confrontation? Why?

How to fight comparison: A biblical perspective

Scripture: Genesis 3, Psalm 139: 13-16, Philippians 2:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12: 14-26, 2 Corinthians 5:2, Galatians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 2:4

I sent out a survey to the girls in my youth group with the question, “What is the hardest thing about being a teenage girl in this culture?” Overwhelmingly, the girls responded with “comparison”, “body image”, and “beauty standards.” We know comparison is the thief of joy (thanks to good ole Teddy Roosevelt), but even knowing that comparison is a thief doesn’t always keep us from getting robbed.

How do we fight the cultural standard of beauty that is shoved down our throats constantly on Instagram, Tik-Tok, TV, and other avenues? Today, I want to take you to Scripture to find some answers. 

First of all, I want you to know this is something I struggle with too. How can we not struggle? Social media is like window shopping. Each little box represents a glimpse into someone else’s world. The windows are filled with beautiful things- talents, makeup, dancing, laughing… But do you know how window shopping works? Have you ever been?

You walk the streets, gazing into the beautifully dressed windows, wishing you could have what the store offered, but knowing you do not have enough resources to ever get what the store is trying to sell. 

The window displays rarely tell the whole story, though. Behind those beautifully dressed windows lies a whole different world, and when we start looking more closely at the items inside, usually we realize we don’t actually want everything in the store. Sure, the window may be eye-catching, but the contents of the inside aren’t all appealing. You don’t need every size of the same shirt, or the men’s clothes, or every piece of jewelry, and odds are, you don’t even want or like them all!  We pick and choose- we want jeans from this store, a sweater from here, jewelry from here, and the list goes on. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

We do this with people too. We gaze into their lives, at least, the parts they put on display for us, and we start wishing our lives, bodies, and faces looked more like theirs. We shop in their windows and pick and choose which parts from which people we want, then we compare ourselves to the pieces we have chosen instead of looking at the full picture. We love them and hate them at the same time. 

So why do we do this? Why do we play the game of comparison?

Let’s take a look at Scripture and let truth renew our minds. As I studied Scripture for this topic, I found three recurring themes:

  1. We compare ourselves because we are believing lies about God.
  2. We compare ourselves because we are focused on ourselves.
  3. We compare ourselves because we fear man and want approval.

Let’s dive into each.

1. We compare ourselves because we are believing lies about God.

Comparison started in the garden. Satan successfully tempted Eve to sin because he told her “you can be like God, knowing good from evil.” Eve compared herself to God, and wanted what He had instead of embracing joyfully who God had created her to be. Eve believed the lie that Satan sold her, she took and ate the fruit. Not because she needed it- she had a whole garden full of fruit to choose from for heaven’s sake! But because she didn’t have that fruit, and she wanted it. Eve did not believe that God had given her everything she needed. She did not believe that God, in His goodness, had already created her exactly how he wanted her! 

The Bible says, God has made you fearfully and wonderfully, you should praise Him for the work of his hands (Psalm 139:14). What this means is God created your imperfections on purpose. God created your quirks, personality, body shape, eye color, skin color, and all of it is in His good plan. Do you believe He is good? Do you believe He is perfect? If so, you must be exactly as He wanted you to be. If you are not, He is not perfect or good. Knowing that verse, writing that verse on your mirror, setting that verse as your lock screen are all good things, but they are not enough. We must ask God for forgiveness- deep, heartfelt, forgiveness- for believing that He is not good enough or wise enough or loving enough to create us purposefully. We must delight ourselves in Him and in His goodness. You see, the way we see ourselves is directly related to the way we see God. The closer we grow in our relationship with Jesus, the less tempted we will be to compare ourselves to His other creations. 

Now please, sister, do not mistake my words as a license to over eat, flaunt what ya got, and never do your hair. God has also made us stewards of His creation, and with that comes a responsibility to care for ourselves. In Proverbs 31, the woman is praised for how she cares for herself and her family.

Be balanced knowing God has made you beautifully, so you can marvel at the intricacies and complexity of who you are while still seeking to grow and develop yourself into everything He has called you to be.

Many of us know Psalm 139:14 which I referred to earlier, but have you ever read it in context? I encourage you to go read Psalm 139 in its entirely. Here is a link so you can easily access it https://biblehub.com/bsb/psalms/139.htm

I will include an excerpt here as well:

13 For You formed my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise You,

for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Marvelous are Your works, 

and I know this very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You  

when I was made in secret, 

when I was woven together 

in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; 

all my days were written in Your book 

and ordained for me 

before one of them came to be.

WOW. How beautiful is THAT truth? Let it wash over your heart, dear friend. Recognizing God as perfect Creator enables us to praise Him for how fearfully and wonderfully He has made us!

You are fully known, fully loved, and endowed with purpose by a loving Creator. Lay down your self-hate at the foot of the cross, and praise His name for the goodness of His design.

2. We compare ourselves because we are focused on ourselves.

Ouch. Stepping on my own toes here! Philippians 2 is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. 

Here’s what the Bible says in Philippians 2:3-8:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Our ultimate goal is to grow in Christ-likeness, not people likeness. When we compare ourselves to God, we will quickly realize we can never measure up to that standard. Enter Christ. Who lived the perfect life of servanthood and died the perfect death, so we imperfect people could be redeemed and bring God glory.

We are called to serve one another, and when we get caught up in comparing ourselves to other people, the comparison breeds jealousy and hate, not others-esteeming servanthood. Unfortunately, comparison also leads to gossip and boastfulness as we work desperately to make ourselves feel better by making others look worse. “She may be pretty, but she’s soooo stuck up.” “Sure, her hair is nice, but have you seen her face???” “She only gets so many boys because she gives them whatever they want.” WHY DO WE TEAR EACHOTHER DOWN with hateful words and hurtful comments? Other girls’ victories do not equal your loss. We can cheer our sisters on, knowing that they are accomplishing the good works that Jesus has designed for them. Odds are those girls need the truth of Jesus shone in their lives a lot more than they need to hear words of condemnation.

As believers we are called to love and esteem one another higher than ourselves. If we are truly doing this, we will not be comparing ourselves. We are part of the body of Christ, and each member of this family has a distinct role to play. Some are arms, some feet, some hands, some eyes, elbows, ears, you get the idea. But without each individual member the body could not function properly. Can you imagine if an ear suddenly decided it wanted to be an eye? The ear chose to stop hearing, and tried as hard as possible to start seeing. Try as it might, it could never make seeing work,  but because the ear tried to be an eye, the body lost its hearing and all the members suffered. This may sound like a funny example, but it’s actually found in the Bible! Turns out, we’re not the only people in the history of Christianity that have struggled with comparison.

Read this passage of Scripture from 1 Corinthians 12 and imagine yourself as one of the members written here- the ear, the eye, or the foot: 

14 For the body does not consist of one part, but of many. 

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.

 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

18 But in fact, God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.

19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 

20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.”

 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

 23 and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty,

 24 whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.

 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Scripture is clear- you were created by a Sovereign and perfect God to play a special role in the body of Christ. Are you causing the body to be void of hearing, seeing, or walking? Are you so focused on trying to fill another role, that you are causing the body to suffer? Trust today that God knows best, and praise Him for the role, body, personality, and gifts He has given you.

But don’t focus on yourself. Take your eyes and your mind off yourself, and put them on Jesus. As you do this, He will lead you into exactly who you need to be. He will make you aware of the gifts and mission He has given you. As John Piper says, “He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” Let’s stop our strivings after what others have and start finding our satisfaction in Jesus.

You don’t feel like you’re good enough. You don’t feel like you can ever measure up to the cultural standards. You feel trapped in an imperfect body. Surprise!!! That’s because you are not good enough, you can never measure up, and you do have an imperfect body. Embracing those things about yourself and letting them lead you into worship of the One who was perfect for you is VITAL in stopping the comparison spiral.

2 Corinthians 5:2 says, “We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.” The dissatisfaction you are feeling in your body can be turned into worship as God uses it to create a longing for eternity. Lean into that feeling, but do it with eternal eyes. Let your imperfections serve as a reminder that eternity is coming. Your perfect body is coming. Rejoice in that promise!

3. We compare ourselves because we are afraid of what people think about us (Fear of man).

Fear of man. It’s a pandemic. It slithers its way into most every area of our lives. Let me give you a perfect example. I recently started this blog and instagram account. The heart behind it was good- bring God glory by sharing His truth with others. Great concept, right? As good as the intentions were, in a matter of moments, my wickedness and brokenness surfaced. Suddenly, I was afraid. What will people think about this account? What if people think I’m doing it for attention? What if no one likes it? What if no one reads what I’m writing? Maybe I should just put in very little effort. That way, if I fail, I can say I didn’t really try, and I didn’t really care about the account/blog in the first place. Ugh, other influencers are so pretty and have so many followers AND they know how to make reels (I really struggle with talking on video and dancing? HA forget about it.)… Can I really make an impact? Does my voice really matter? Suddenly my pure motives were tainted by my sinfulness. If we were only concerned about what God thought about us, we really wouldn’t struggle with comparison much at all! We would realize all humanity is equal at the foot of the cross. We would look at our fellow humans and think, “Wow! We are all so broken, but God’s grace has covered each one of us. Praise Jesus!” 

Paul says in Galatians 1:10 that he would not even be a servant of Christ if he cared about the approval of people. 

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

Think about Paul’s life- he was the head honcho in the religious scene. People looked up to him. He probably received gobs of praise for his religious knowledge and persecution of the Christians… But when God got a hold of Paul’s heart, he left all that behind. Why? Because the power, joy, and freedom is in Christ. Not in us. When we make ourselves our god, we are left with empty hearts and lives.  “Instead [of fearing man], we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts” 1 Thessalonians 2:4. God has not given us the treasure of the Gospel so we can sit around on it overly concerned about how people are perceiving us. He has given us the treasure of the Gospel to share it. To shine it. To shout it. Don’t push your light under a bushel, let it shine! 

As a believer, you are seated with Christ in heaven. He has given you a place at His table. He sees you as worthy because of the blood of Jesus. Lean into your relationship with him and lean into loving and serving others instead of comparing yourself to them. 

Application:

Okay, it’s easy to read all that and feel overwhelmed, so here are some practical ways to fight comparison.

1. Get in God’s Word and let Him renew your mind. Meet with Him every day and remind yourself of who He is. Remind yourself of His perfection. Remind yourself that the design of you falls under His perfect wisdom

2. Pick one of the passages I shared above and memorize it. Quote it to yourself every time you’re struggling with comparing yourself to others.

3. Start a habit of praising God for how He created you. Think about your intricacies and complexity and giftedness, then praise Him for it!

4. Find a way to serve others- in your local church, in your community, in your family. When you’re tempted to fear man, ask God for help, then get busy serving. Not because you ever need to earn the approval of man, but because God has given you gifts to use for His glory!

5. Form accountability and community with other sisters in Christ who don’t feed your comparison struggles.

A lot more could be said on this topic, but for now, I pray these words encourage your soul as you pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. As always, please reach out to me with questions and topic ideas!

Your loving sister,

Charis

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