The Importance of Being You

[The Importance of Being You]( Current Teaching Series [Living in the Goodness of God]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [The Importance of Being You]( By Rick Warren — 02/07/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “It's healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up.” Proverbs 14:30 (CEV) To live an abundant life that overflows with God’s goodness, the first thing you need to do is start being grateful and stop complaining. The second thing you need to do is start being content and stop comparing. God made you to be you. He doesn’t want you to be anybody else! When you compare yourself to other people, you get envious and resentful, and you might even start to copy them.  But God has never made a clone. God only makes originals. Even identical twins are different in thousands of ways. If you won’t be you, then who will be you? The truth is that comparing only gets you in trouble. When you compare your looks, your grades, your spouse, your career, or your kids, it causes two problems. One, you get full of discouragement, because you can always find someone who’s doing a better job than you—someone who is better looking, makes more money, or has more talent. And two, you get full of pride. Why? Because you can always find someone who’s not doing as good a job as you. The Bible says, “It is better to be content with what little you have. Otherwise, you will always be struggling for more, and that is like chasing the wind” Ecclesiastes 4:6 (NCV). Because of social media, it’s easier than ever to compare yourself to others. When you see posts every day that shout, “Look at me! Look what I can do! Look what I’ve got!” it can draw you into a state of envy and discontent. It can even cause you to try to impress others with your own posts. But the thing is, you don’t have to impress anyone. A key to living a life overflowing with joy is to just be yourself, content with who God made you to be. Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed? Do you want to be spiritually and emotionally healthy? The Bible says, “It’s healthy to be content, but envy can eat you up” (Proverbs 14:30 CEV). Contentment comes when you enjoy what you have rather than waiting for something else to make you happy. Stop comparing yourself to other people, and start being content with what God has given you—and then watch your joy overflow! [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What do you enjoy about your life right now? - When it looks like God is blessing others in a way he’s not blessing you, how does it make you feel? In those moments, what can you remind yourself about God’s goodness? - If you know something like social media is going to cause you to be discontented, what will you do to lessen its effect on you? How to experience true contentment The journey toward lasting contentment begins with a commitment to Jesus Christ. If you’ve never received him into your life, start with this prayer: “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that he died for my sin and that you raised him to life. I want to trust him as my Savior and follow him as Lord, from this day forward. Please guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [The Importance of Being You]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the Living in the Goodness of God Guided Bible Study when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Start trusting God’s goodness in every area of life by exploring Psalm 23 with Pastor Rick’s Living in the Goodness of God Guided Bible Study. This beautiful, interactive, book will help you... • Revolutionize your life and your relationships • Recharge your body and mind • Create a habit of worship instead of worry • Practice loving God and others well • Use your time for the things that matter most • Stop comparing and start being content • And so much more! [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 12 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Living in the Goodness of God. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Is God Really Good All the Time? Message 2: Letting God Meet My Needs Message 3: Relaxing in God’s Goodness Message 4: How God’s Goodness Can Restore You Message 5: How to Be Led by God’s Spirit Message 6: The God of My Valleys Message 7: How Jesus Treats His Sheep Message 8: How God Lifts Me Up When I’m Worn Down Message 9: Living an Anointed Life Message 10: From Overwhelmed to Overflowing Message 11: Why You Don’t Need to Fear the Future Message 12: Heaven: God’s Eternal Goodness to You [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]( to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. You can listen to Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope, his daily 25-minute audio teaching, and sign up for his free daily devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States