Sisters Rachel and Leah knew the cruelty of comparison as acutely as any modern woman might. Wed to the same man, Jacob, the women envied each other. Leah found herself lacking because Jacob loved Rachel and didn’t love her. Rachel looked at Leah with jealousy because Leah was fertile and she was not.
The two sisters each faced remarkable hardships. While their sorrows could have been an opportunity for bearing each other’s burdens, they instead became fodder for bitterness and resentment.
Reflecting on Rachel and Leah, Dena Dyer writes, “The enemy of our souls knows that he can plant or play on insecurities and doubts about our worth to tempt us to jealousy, envy—even self-hatred. He places menacing thoughts in our heads: I’ll never measure up. No one will ever recognize my hard work. Why isn’t God using me like He’s using him (or her)? What does he/she have that I don’t? What if I never get the opportunities they’re
enjoying?”
Dyer encourages us to recast our vision, setting our eyes on Jesus so that we can release comparison and rivalry. May we take all we feel to God—both mourning the moments we wish were ours and celebrating the joys we receive—trusting that his goodness in our lives is enough.
