“Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else.” Galatians 6:4 (CSB)

For the last couple of days, we’ve looked together at the unique ways God made you—how he planned every day of your life before you were born and how he gave you your own unique SHAPE—Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences.

But even when you know that God formed you intentionally and uniquely, you might still find yourself unsure of how to move forward—in ministry or in life. Maybe, when you think about the future, you feel more confusion and less joy.

If this describes you, it might be because you’ve forgotten the advice the Bible gives in Galatians 6:4: “Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else” (CSB).

The Bible gives two-part guidance here. First, you should “examine [your] own work.” In other words, you should look at your past and learn from it.

Next, you should “not compare [yourself] with someone else.” As you examine your own life, don’t let your eyes wander to how God is working in people around you. Concentrate on what he’s done in and through you.

There are plenty of reasons to not compare yourself to other people. One, you will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you—and that can lead to discouragement. Two, you will always be able to find someone who doesn’t seem as effective as you—and that can lead to pride. Either attitude will rob you of your joy.

God has a better way to help you discover what’s next. He wants you to take a close look at your past so that you’ll be able to step into the future he’s prepared for you.

That’s right—God doesn’t want you to waste your past. God wants to use it.

But sometimes it can be hard to know how to look back effectively over your own life. Here’s one easy exercise to get you started:

Take a half-hour this week. Sit down with a piece of paper. Separate it with a line for each period of your life. You could decide to divide your life into five-year periods, or into decades.

Now it’s time to “examine [your] own work” by creating a life inventory.

Answer these two questions for each time period of your life: What were you good at doing? What did you enjoy doing?

Now go back and look for patterns. If you were good at something when you were younger, you probably still are. Maybe there’s something you enjoyed a few years ago that you have forgotten about.

After you’ve identified patterns in your life, ask God what he wants you to do with this information. He might show you things in your past that you can celebrate and be proud of. And seeing patterns of what you’ve enjoyed or been good at over the years can help you know how God might want to work through you in the future. 

Don’t let yourself get caught in a trap of comparison. Instead, take an honest look at your own past. And then step forward with confidence into your future.