I am always grateful to have the opportunity to share the Word of God with women. Especially when there’s a sin issue that most of us are facing and yet few are finding freedom from. Like comparison. And competition. I have seen them in my own life, I sense them in the lives of girls, young women, old women and every one of us in-between. Could we all agree that comparison and competition have been dividing women since the beginning of time? We could.

At the Wild & Free Women’s Conference, I spoke on this topic. At this amazing event, we kept hearing the Lord say that surrender is the way to freedom–from the testimonies to the main teachings to the music–it was a theme! And then came the breakout sessions where the Spirit had His way again. In my session, we found ourselves challenged to break the cycle of comparison with two things: the Word of God and our circle of sisters. We looked at Scripture that continually points us to connection with and in Christ and with and in community. All the C’s from the session came together to look like this, with the Cross (the Gospel of Christ) in the middle:

If you find yourself in this trap of always looking around at others, comparing yourself and feeling insecure about your identity, you need this teaching. I need this teaching! I’ve been set free in the area of competition, as I shared in the session, but oftentimes I sense that comparison cycle surfacing in my heart. And it’s real. And it can be hard to overcome. But, freedom is found when I grab the Word of God and immerse myself in community. When I pray and repent and confess and do the things Jesus has said to do. He has done the work to set me free and he’s done the same for you. Where do we start, though?

Here’s what I’ve put together to help guide you in this journey: A recording of the breakout session and a journal page for you to reflect. The Scriptures are in the session and the above chart will make so much more sense if you hear the teaching from the session . . . SOOO listen to it like a podcast, maybe on your way to and home from work. Or as you’re cleaning the house. Or in your quiet time tomorrow morning.

Then look at the journal page. It’s more than a blank page for you to write in; it’s a page with step by step processes towards that freedom we’re talking about. Take some time alone with your Bible, some worship music and have an open heart. Invite the Holy Spirit in. Pray and ask God to lead you as you reflect upon each stage of the freedom walk–there’s one process for comparison and another for competition.

Lastly, share the reflections with your circle of sisters. Connect with them. Combat this sin with them. Be vulnerable and ask for prayer. And friends– if you don’t have a circle, find one. It just so happens that we’re starting our women’s small group Bible study gatherings again for the fall at LifePointe Church. So if you’re in the Sedalia area, we’d love to have you! We meet on Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30PM. Connection awaits you and me!

Friends–I’m rooting for you in this. I’m seeing a group of women who are all the things on the right side of that T-Chart (the CONNECTION side). They’ve done the hard work of combatting the cycles with the Word and community, they are doing the hard work of surrendering. Can you imagine it for yourself? For your friends? Your daughters? For every woman and girl you know? It would be a beautiful story in my life and in yours. Let Christ have his way. His way is freedom.