They say comparison is the thief of joy—and they’re right. When you’re constantly looking at what others have, it becomes harder to appreciate what’s in front of you. Discontentment and jealousy creep in, and soon enough, your focus shifts from gratitude to lack.
Lately, I’ve caught myself falling into that trap. Comparing myself to others. Wondering why I’m not where they are. But in the midst of that spiral, I was reminded of a powerful church activity I did back in high school.
One Sunday, during small group, our leader handed each of us a slip of paper and asked us to write down something we were struggling with. I don’t remember exactly what I wrote—probably something about struggling with lust—but I remember the process clearly. We folded our papers and placed them in a jar. After giving it a good shake, she scattered the folded notes across the floor and began to open them one by one.
She read them aloud. Some were heavy—struggles with depression, experiences of abuse, deep personal pain. The room grew quiet.
Then she asked us a question I’ll never forget: “If you could trade your struggle for someone else’s, would you?”
I looked down at the papers, at the pain laid bare, and silently shook my head. No—I wouldn’t trade. As difficult as my own battles felt, they were mine. Familiar. Manageable in their own way. The weight of someone else’s burden suddenly felt overwhelming by comparison.
That day, I learned a lesson I carry with me to this day: the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Things may look picture-perfect from the outside, but we rarely see what others are facing behind closed doors.
That memory came back to me just when I needed it. A quiet reminder to be content with where I am and what I have. Everyone is on their own path, fighting a battle, whether we see it or not. And as a quote I came across recently put it perfectly: “Don’t compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty.”
jinsil • truth 