Stay in Your Lane

This is something I have found myself telling my son repeatedly, so it was interesting when it came up on an episode of Better Together, this time addressed at me. 😅

What does it mean to as it were ‘stay in your lane’?
Generally, it means to focus on your own responsibilities, or focus on your own area of expertise, without interfering with the responsibilities or expertise of others.

This was the context I used on my son.
For the believer in Christ, this phrase urges us to avoid comparing ourselves with others and to keep our eyes looking forward on the path or race that God has set before us. (Hebrews 12; 1,2)
There is indeed a freedom when you learn to follow God’s unique path for your life.

John 21:20-22 NIV – Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.
21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

What do we see here? The temptation to compare.
In this account Jesus had appeared to His disciples at the Sea of Galilee.
He had asked Peter three times if he loved Him and had given Peter the instructions – “Feed my lambs”, “Take care of my sheep” and “Feed my sheep”.
He had then gone on to tell Peter the kind of death by which he would glorify God.
Note the words – ‘Peter turned and saw‘. 😊

In Olympic track competitions, every runner has a pre assigned lane to run in and from start to finish, there are 8 lanes. Any athlete that runs outside their assigned lane can be disqualified. 👀

The comparison trap is a dangerous one to fall in.
Comparison can lead you to
•⁠ ⁠jealousy, where you envy the next person
•⁠ ⁠inferiority, where you feel less than the next person
•⁠ ⁠pride, where you feel better than the next person

How do we combat comparison?
•⁠ ⁠With the attitude of gratitude, whilst rejoicing with others on their achievements.
•⁠ ⁠By thanking God for all the things He has done and is doing in our lives – the ‘big’ and ‘little’ miracles. 😊🙏🏽🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

In the body of Christ, when it comes to the spiritual gifts there may be the tendency to compare.
Some gifts may look big to us whilst others look small.
A gift is a gift and we should never ever try to operate in someone else’s gifting, but let God lead us day by day.
May we never shelf our gift thinking it is small. God uses each and every one of us in His own way.

There’s always going to be someone better than you in some regard or the other. Yours is to be you, all the while being led by the Spirit.

I’ll end with this Scripture and hymn stanza:

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 NIV – There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Let none hear you id­ly say­ing,
There is no­thing I can do.
While the lost of earth are dy­ing,
And the Mas­ter calls for you;
Take the task He gives you glad­ly;
Let His work your plea­sure be;
Answer quick­ly when He calls you,
Here am I, send me, send me.

God bless you!
🤗