The Importance of Being You
By Rick Warren

"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

For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

Encourage a Graduate in Your Life

Graduation time is here, and chances are there’s a young person in your life who could use some encouragement, along with a little guidance.

Set them up for success with Pastor Rick’s The Purpose Driven Life: Selected Thoughts and Scriptures for the Graduate.

Filled with inspirational Scripture, biblical wisdom from Pastor Rick, and beautiful imagery, this unique, hardcover gift book provides a priceless reminder of the bountiful life God has planned for your graduate—and it will empower them to seek his unique plan and purpose for their life.

We’d love to send you a copy of this special resource as thanks for your gift today to help Daily Hope take the transforming power of Jesus into more lives around the world.

So request your copy below—and set a young graduate on the path to all God has for their life!

*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.

This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.