And liiiiike stuff like thatttttttt!

Competition and the comparison game is everywhere, I get it.
I never really noticed it as much as I do now that I have more connections with such a large group of people in the photography industry.

But, I don't think you really even see where I'm going with this, because being in the photography industry has somehow gotten me in the middle of a bunch of other different creative industries, and that is where I see it as well.

And I think what surprises me the most is when people who are Christians are the very ones caught up in this whole game.

It shows itself mostly in instagram posts or Facebook statuses.

It's all like...
Here's me and my awesome friend _(fill in "celebrity" name here)__
And then they're all....sellffiiieeeeeee!
And then it's "liked" 257 times because we are all just so amazed by the fact that YOU are friends with HER and like OMG I am like sooo totally jealllouuusss???
And liiike stuff like thatttt.

And the funny thing is, 95 percent of the rest of the world doesn't even have a clue who your celebrity even is, and yet you have somehow reached Queen-of-the-world status in your mind because of it.

And I want to be all... Dude. I am like bff's with JESUS CHRIST!

And I would totally like, do a selllfieeee, if it were, like, humanly possible????

Boom.
Can I get a what what??

I wish that we didn't play the favoritism game, because that is not the way God created us.
I love the fact that the people mentioned in the Bible are basically nobodies!

Ya know Rahab? Her story is found in the book of Joshua, and she was literally known as
Rahab the prostitute.

Yep!
I bet nobody was all about getting selfies with her!
But God thought she was important enough to put in the Bible!

And I could go on and on with similar stories of people who we wouldn't have been bragging about being friends with, or teaming up with for a project, or having dinner with....yet God thought they were valuable enough to have them written in a Book that would last forever.

I have found myself, many times, feeling that feeling of - hmmm...I guess I'm just not cool enough for that person any more.
And I gotta tell ya. It's not a good feeling.

And I really and truly hope that I never make anyone feel that same way.

Everyone is valuable.
No, I seriously mean it....everyone is valuable.
And not one more than the other.

I could start a list right here and right now of incredible people that God has given me the privilege to know who are absolutely amazing, yet if I put a picture of us up together on instagram?
Most people wouldn't even know who they were.
Does that make them less valuable?
Absolutely not.

Christians? We know better than to be acting this way.

The reason that we are in whatever industry we are in is because of one thing...

God.

And do you know what He has to say about it?

He says - Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man boast in his might. Let not the rich man boast in his riches. But let him who boasts, boast in this
that he understands and knows me.

Do you get that? The only thing I have the right to boast over is that I know God!
And it's more than just saying - oh, all of this is His! or, I am so humbled. or, Thank God.
So whatever project I come up with, however much money I make...It's all because of God.

The really profound, totally mature, not 12-year-oldish way to say it?

#itsnotaboutyou.

It's not about you!
It's not even about how great you are because you realize it's not about you!

It's just not about you.
Plain and simple.

I hope that you can take an honest look at yourself for a second and make sure that the way you are living is showing everyone that it's not about you.
That you are not building yourself because you "know someone"
That you are not missing out on good, solid friendships with real people because you think you are better than them.
That you have an understanding of the value that you have because God created you that way!

And I hope I can say the same about myself.
Sometimes it takes work! Some people are harder to love than others.

But what was that I said before?
Oh ya...

Everyone is valuable.

So like, the next time you see meeee???
You should like totalllyyyyy get a pic with meeeee so we can totes instagram it, obvs, and like everyone??? is gonna be all....whattttt?? You know her?????

But for reals. We should be treating everyone like we feel privileged because we know them.

Word to your mother.