When Elijah felt he just couldn't take any more, he cried out ‘LORD…Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors’ (1 Kings 19:4 NIV). When we’re feeling completely hopeless, we can fall into a cycle of comparing ourselves with others - making ourselves feel worse in the process. Our thoughts might sound something like this: ‘If only I could be like [name] I’d be happy.’ Or they might sound like Elijah’s: ‘I’m no better than [name]’ or ‘I’m a worse person than [name].’ When we start comparing ourselves with others, we can fall into another trap: we compare our weaknesses with their strengths. We might think ‘I should be able to do this thing as well as [name]’, all the while forgetting that they’re probably weak in areas where we’re strong. So what’s the solution? We just need to be honest with ourselves, and be the person God created and intended us to be. That’s all He wants. That’s all He expects. God had given Elijah a task, and even when Elijah was at his lowest point and lost all confidence in himself, God didn’t give up on him. And it’s the same for us. God designed each of us with our own mix of strengths and weaknesses, because He has a unique plan for each of us. He gives us exactly what we need to carry out His plan, so we can be confident we’ll succeed. So let’s give ourselves a break from the self-criticism and rest in this: we can have confidence in God, and He won’t give up on us.

What now?
Write down any areas that you’re feeling weak. Then write the things you’re good at. Think about how you could use those God-given strengths in the task you’re facing.