970 Square Feet
My generation is growing up. We’re buying houses, starting families, and furthering our careers in our grown up jobs. It’s scary and exciting at the same time. There are so many new developments, new challenges, and wonderful changes that come along with young adulthood. Most of our friends are experiencing these changes. They’re having children, embarking on new adventures, and adding stability to their lives. It’s wonderful to see.
I’ve seen so many incredible benefits to this stage of life. It’s beautiful. But with so many changes and developments there are certainly temptations and risks that can send us off course. There are a few potential ‘risks’ to this young adulthood phenomenon I’ve noticed. I’m writing about the first one tonight:
The risk of comparison.
Photo credit: daggerquill (creative commons)
It’s very easy for me to fixate on where I am in life, and to compare it to where others are. I’ll use homes as an example. Our little apartment in Sandy Springs is 970 square feet. And most of the time I love it. I love that there is no more room for anything- no more furniture, no more clothes, no more random decorative things I don’t need. If I buy more clothes, I need to get rid of clothes. If I buy new books, I need to get rid of books. It’s a fantastic sense of equilibrium. It’s not terribly grown up apartment either. Unframed paintings from Haiti and the Dominican Republic adorn our ‘dining room’. The cheap apartment carpet is horribly stained (we have a dog, there’s nothing I can do about it). We have a three foot wooden camel and a six foot wooden Giraffe. There’s also a three foot giraffe in the bedroom. Their names are Bill, Kajo, and Keji. Empty beverage bottles, knick knacks and collector Starbucks mugs haphazardly add dimension above our 1980’s era kitchen cabinets, and my linen closet is a 20 dollar shelf from Target. I’m not a terribly fancy person with fabulous taste, so I’ll probably always have my wooden animals and paintings I bought off the side of the road in developing countries.
But even though I love our apartment and where we are, in my seasons of doubt I have found myself wondering what others think about our small, simple space. I’ve snuck into comparison-land, thinking that maybe I’m not as ‘good’ as others. We have friends who have big, beautiful houses with gorgeous decor and updated features. 99% of the time I feel no iota of insecurity or comparison, but every once in awhile I allow myself to slip into that pattern. Am I good enough? What do people think? Should I do things differently to get approval?
But ultimately life is about embracing who you are and who God made you to be. It’s okay if it doesn’t include cherry cabinets and immaculately decorated homes. It’s okay if it DOES include that. Maybe your ‘thing’ isn’t a house. Maybe it’s relationship status. Maybe it’s where you are vocationally. Ultimately, we have to stop comparing ourselves to others. You are where you are for a reason. Whether you are 22 and buying your first house or 35 and living in a one bedroom apartment, we all need to embrace where we are. Whether your career is going perfectly and you’re climbing the ladder to your dream job, or if you’ve just been laid off and have no idea what’s next, trust that God is leading you and that HE is your identity.
Comparison causes us to be envious and to take our eyes off of what God has for us, and where we are going next. It’s a great way to completely derail yourself from the amazing path you’re on. I’m choosing to be content in my 970 square feet, embracing where we are, striving to be a good neighbor, and practicing Biblical hospitality the best I can. By focusing on the here and now, I can leverage the amazing place God has me for HIS glory.
What do you focus on? How have you compared yourself to others? What do you do when self doubt and seeds of envy sneak in?
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. – Galatians 1:10
SixEight Life 
Great post, Emily! I’m sure every person reading can relate. No one needs to make their life cookie-cutter. God made us all different with different desires and passions. Comparisons, family and cultural expectations, and other factors can all rob of us our individuality and the plan God has for us.
Amen Heather! I so appreciate your feedback and your friendship. You always keep it about Jesus, it’s very inspiring.
Agreed Emily. Our Culture Doesn’t Advocate Being Content. We As Christians Definitely Should. Thanks For Your Thoughts.
Thanks Joel! I appreciate you reading and sharing your thoughts. Good word “Our culture doesn’t advocate being content.” I like it, and it’s so true!
Pretty much the only reason Randy and I bought a house was because the market is so ridiculous. It’s nice having the space (with 3 dogs I doubt an apt would let us stay!) but at same time there’s a sense of feeling tied down. We always pray that we would be willing to go wherever God has called us, and it sounds nice, but realistically it would be a tough thing to sell this (or any) house in the current market.
And p.s. I love your home. So anthropologie-ish! It makes me want to travel! (but then I remember we can’t because we’re broke from having a mortgage)
; )
Thanks Logan! It’s amazing how we can view different life situations from different perspectives. I really appreciate you reading my posts and for your feedback. Hope you guys are doing well!
Emily, you should seriously think about compiling all your posts into a devotional! Love it!
Wow, thanks so much Jen! I’d love to write a book one day. We’ll see what God has in store 🙂