Hey, I’m Shannon.
And I’ve been a Comparison Girl for as long as I can remember. Literally, my first memory at age four, is of feeling humiliated because someone found out that I could not read. Oh, the humiliation!
It seems silly now. Why was I so worried about being exposed as an illiterate preschooler? Yet some of my current struggles are just as absurd. Why do I worry about being exposed as a less-than-perfect mom? Or a middle-aged woman who struggles with her weight? Or a Christian who still sins?
The constant effort to prove that I measure up (or try to hide when I don’t), does not lead to a life of freedom and joy. Here’s what does: learning to live me-free. I hope you’ll stick around and join me in learning these lessons from Jesus on me-free living in a measure-up world!
Is this the first time we’ve met? Welcome! If you have more questions about me, come visit my “about me” page!
Do you compare yourself?
On social media, in the neighborhood, at church, or the school drop-off lane, do you drive yourself to prove that you measure up? Do you feel ashamed when you don’t? Measuring yourself against others isn’t healthy. And it isn’t God’s plan. In fact, the way of Jesus is completely upside down from this measure-up world. He invites us to follow him and be restored to freedom, confidence, and joy.
Join me, as I share what I’ve discovered about my own measure-up fears and get-ahead pride. In this six-week study, we’ll explore the conversations Jesus had and the stories he shared with people who—like us—were comparing themselves.
Let’s leave measure-up comparison behind and connect with those around us by choosing Jesus’s me-free way of living: lifting others up and pouring ourselves out!
“Comparison. We all fight it. But for many of us, it feels like we are losing the battle. Why? Because what we need, to combat comparison, is not simply the knowledge that it hurts us, but the tools to resist it, and that is exactly what Shannon Popkin has given us. With fresh insight, biblical grounding, and light-hearted humor, Comparison Girl offers practical steps for curbing this temptation. If comparison is your struggle, this book is your guide!”
If you struggle with measuring up. If you’re worried about what people think. If you dread someone seeing you in a less than ideal situation, then you’re human. We all struggle with comparing ourselves to others in some way. That means we all need Shannon’s honest and wise words on the pages of this book. I know I did and I’m betting you do, too!
Shannon Popkin has done it again! She has masterfully written another must read to speak to the struggles of our soul. Inviting us to look up and listen to the tender truths of God and learning to silence the lies of the enemy against us, Shannon shows us how to finally live freely in a cultural of continual comparison. For every woman who has an area of her life where she wonders if she is truly enough- here is your answer.
Leader’s Kit
Now Available!
- 6 Teaching Sessions, which correlate with the chapters of the book
- DVD + digital downloads
- One Comparison Girl book
- One Journaling Workbook
- Leader Discussion Guide
Each session is about 18 – 25 minutes long. Dive deeper into what Jesus teaches about the difference between comparison in the world and comparison in the Kingdom.
Sign up for leader updates.
Journaling Workbook
The companion Comparison Girl Workbook offers:
- A place to record your responses to the Bible study and application questions at the end of each lesson.
- Thought-provoking stories and journal prompts, which correlate to each chapter’s theme.
- Space for taking video session notes, plus the printed verses and additional observation study and discussion questions.
- Extra prayers, quotes, and verses to encourage you on your journey.
- Available either as part of the Leader’s Kit, or as a separate purchase.
Get the Comparison Girl Bonuses:
Comparison Girl Screen Savers – there are 12 in all!
Turn your comparison struggles over to the Lord.
An illustrative drawing in Philippians 2:7-9.
All of these & more!
This book is what I would consider a must read. That’s a lot coming from a 65 year old woman who has walked with Jesus for 47 years and is well read. Here’s the deal. This book caused me to face some things about my own comparisons and how I measure myself against others. It helped me call some unhealthy things out in my own life that I never stopped to realize or face. I am being transparent here because that’s how much I think this book can help any woman who compares with others, finds herself jealous or feeling insignificant or insecure. From years of women’s ministry, I think that might be a lot of us. Thank you Shannon for a remarkable message! (Review on Amazon.)
Shannon Popkin helps us take a fresh and challenging look at the everyday mindsets we wrestle with. Showing us God’s higher ways straight from the life of Jesus, she calls us from our me-focused thinking to His kingdom-focused purposes. After this study and with the power of the Holy Spirit, I won’t allow those thoughts to stay around any longer.
Comparison Girl Chapters & Quotes:
Author and dear friend, Shannon Popkin, expertly and biblically walks us through several markers and mistakes of living according to comparison in this measure up world and gently points us to a better way. Written with humor and brutal honesty, Shannon sheds the pretense and fights for her readers’ hearts with biblical wisdom, humility and truth. Comparison Girl is a must-read for this generation of girls and the next.
With a humble pen and a bold honesty, Shannon invites us to look closely at our subtle “comparison game” and recognize the truth behind it— Comparison is not just a harmless habit; it’s an all-out attack on the life we’ve been created to live. Using the very words of Jesus, Shannon shows us how to trade the exhaustion of measure-up comparison for the exhilaration of me-free living. Get ready to wage war and take back the abundant life you were created to enjoy!
Are you grieving a loss? Do you wonder why Jesus didn’t intervene? In episode 12 on the Live Like It’s True podcast, Mary Kassian and I talk about how Jesus grieved over Lazarus, but he also knew the end of the story. What if the same was true for you?
#jesuswept #thestorythatledtothecross #plottwist #jesusknows #howitends #griefandlosssupport #griefandhope #easter2023 #livelikeitstrue #biblepodcast
Remembering my trip to Colombia last November and all the new friends I made there—as I serve with @editorialportavoz and @clccolombia this evening—talking about No te Compares. Join us over on my Facebook page!
What a beautiful trip, filled with sweet memories.
A photo of me ugly crying 😭+😩would be more appropriate. Control is such an ugly sin. White-knuckling my way through life, convinced that I not only could take control, but should—this Control Girl life has only led to pain and anguish for me.
The cost of playing God is high. The rewards are missing. There is no peace or security or hope or joy, for the woman convinced that she is the one who has to make it all turn out right.
Only anger, fear, anxiety and perfectionism over what she can`t control, but feels she must.
Yet for the woman who discovers that there is One who`s in control—and it`s not her? This woman finds what she was actually looking for when she first reached for control.
She roots herself in God`s promises and finds hope. She reads of his faithfulness and finds security. She reminds herself of the True Story, which is still unfolding, and finds comfort and joy.
Do you struggle with control? This book is my gift to you. It`s filled with raw honesty and ageless truth, and I pray that it will help you lay down that burden of control you`ve been carrying for far too long.
He is in control, which means you don`t have to be.
Visit www.controlgirl.com for more details.
The woman who trust in God, not herself, "will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit." Jer. 17:8
An Absurd Story of Being Fooled by God`s Enemy: Ep 34 on the Live Like It’s True podcast with @courtneycdoctor
How can we live like it’s true that the serpent in Genesis 3 was an intruder with a sinister agenda?
That’s what Courtney Doctor and I are discussing in this conversation, where she offers so much wisdom and insight on Genesis 3. Join us as we talk about how to live like this story is true!
https://wp.me/p7IZQm-884
#BiblePodcast #theBible #wordofGod #StudyGodsWord #BibleStudy #BiblesStory #Storytelling #StorytellingPodcast #ChristianPodcast #ChristianWomen #TheGospel #creationstory #createdbygod #thefall #gardenofeden #adamandeve #manandwife #manandwoman #inhisimage #forbiddenfruit #thedevilisaliar #genesisstudy #thetruthwillsetyoufree #falsenarratives #Genesis3 #thegospelcoalition
Nobody would miss us if we skipped church, and my bed seems extra cozy this cold March morning.
We’ve only been attending our new church for about a year, so most Sundays we sit by people we don’t know. We’re still struggling with keeping names straight on those we do know. So why go? Why not stay home and watch online?
We have done that a few times. It’s just Ken and me, now. So we don’t have parenting in mind when we go to church.
Here’s why we go.
This is the most important part of our week. It’s the moment we gather with God’s people and worship God. We lift his name with our singing and read his word. We listen to sermons prepared by our shepherds, who love us and guide us. And we do all of this as a flock, not individuals. In a far more focused, collective way than we do at home.
You and I come to Jesus as individuals but we follow him as groups. On our own, it’s so easy for our hearts to wander. And there is something indescribably settling and stabilizing about being in that room as a flock.
At my church, we pack the room tight. There’s usually not a seat beside me to put my Bible on, and I love it. At my church, the chairs form a circle around the platform, so you look into the faces of brothers and sisters from every angle. At my church, there are a variety of worship styles and leaders, a number who preach, and a variety of ministries that give updates, and lead in prayer. It’s new every week.
Most importantly, my church is part of the CHURCH, the body of Christ—scattered across the globe, waiting as a bride for her groom. Waiting for the day we’re called home.
When I remind myself of all these things, my pillows look less comfy and it’s the Church that seems more inviting.
Where will you worship today?
Some practical ways to help you surrender control:
Mom meditation cards
Surrender verse screensavers
Reminder cards
And most importantly, check out (or review) my 9 week study, “Control Girl”.
Visit controlgirl.com
Link in bio for the bonuses!
#ControlGirl #Surrender #WaveTheWhiteFlag #ControllingMom #ControllingWife #LayDownYourBurdens #NotMyWill #FreedomInSurrender #Marriage #MarriageGoals #MarriageCounseling #TrustinMarriage #ReleasingControl #WomenoftheBible #ChristianBook #BibleStudy #WomensMinistry #WomensBibleStudy #SmallGroup
¡Hola, mis hermanas de habla hispana! ¡Únase a mí el 24 de marzo para recibir dos mensajes y algunas preguntas y respuestas sobre la comparación! Si ya has leído No te Compares, esto te ofrecerá un pequeño repaso y un nuevo pasaje bíblico que.
Puede encontrar el evento en Facebook o YouTube, organizado por:
@editorialportavoz
@clccolombia
@clcchile
@clcmexico
@clcpanama
@clc_peru
@clcuruguay
@clc_venezuela
¡Espero verte allí! 😘
#editorialportavoz #notecompares
What about secret sexual struggle? This is one of the things I got to talk about with my friend @krstnclark on the Live Like It’s True podcast, this week.
Kristen also discusses this topic of secret sin in her coauthored book (with @bethany.beal ), “Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl’s heart”.
For a chance to win a copy: Tag a friend or share any of the posts pointing to this week’s episode:
“Gender, Masturbation, and the Advice Found in Genesis”.
https://wp.me/p7IZQm-8oO
For answers, Kristen and I looked back at what has God said about gender, sexuality, and intimacy when he gave us our origin story in Genesis 1-3.
"Depression, suicide, anxiety... these things are skyrocketing. We have to ask the question: What is wrong? What is not working? Ultimately it`s that we need to turn back to our Creator.
The greatest love I can give you is to tell you what your Creator says about you. Not what the world says about you, not what you say about you, not what culture says about "What is a man or a woman?" or "What about LGBTQ?"
The most loving thing I can offer you is to tell you what your Creator says about you." @krstnclark with @girldefined
Tune in to this week`s episode on the Live Like It`s True podcast, where Kristen Clark from Girl Defined and I are talking about, "Gender, Masturbation, and the Advice Found in Genesis". We`re looking back at our origin story from Genesis 1-3 and asking, "How can we live like this story is true?"
Tag a friend or share for a chance to win a copy of Kristen`s book, "Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl`s Heart". Also, check out @girldefined
Link in bio. https://wp.me/p7IZQm-8oO
#LiveLikeItsTrue #TrueStory #BiblePodcast #StudyGodsWord #BibleStudy #Storytelling #genesis #originstory #ChristianPodcast #ChristianWomen #GospelPodcast #genderbend #genderquestions #biblicalwomanhood #biblicalmarriage
#adamandeve #inthebeginning
Anyone else feeling this snow, like a setback? Heavy, wet whiteness, when you’re ready warm breezes and springtime green?
What I see out my window, I see in my heart. I long for the greens of new life, but there remains the heaviness of my sin, weighing on me. And what is my only hope? Only for God to keep his promises to me.
“And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise.”
Hebrews 6:15 CSB
“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6 CSB
“God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Psalms 51:10 CSB
What does it look like to be brave and tell the truth, when so many are saying, "Maybe I`m not a girl..."? And what IS the truth about a person`s gender?
Also, why is masturbation wrong if it`s not hurting anyone? And how do we respond like God does, when someone opens up about sexual sin?
I’m so grateful to have my friend
@krstnclark from @girldefined with me for this FINAL EPISODE of the #truestoryofthebeginning series on the Live Like It’s True podcast!
https://wp.me/p7IZQm-8oO
(Link in bio)
It’s a confusing time, isn’t it? But Kristen offers confident answers and advice, rooted in Genesis.
Kristen Clark is married to her best friend, Zack, and is the newly adoptive mom to two precious boys from Ukraine. She is co-founder of Girl Defined Ministries, author of several books, and is passionate about promoting the message of God-defined womanhood.
Follow Kristen @girldefined
Check out today’s brand-new episode!
#LiveLikeItsTrue #TrueStory #BiblePodcast #StudyGodsWord #BibleStudy #Storytelling #genesis #originstory #ChristianPodcast #ChristianWomen #GospelPodcast #genderbend #genderquestions #biblicalwomanhood #biblicalmarriage
#adamandeve #inthebeginning
I’m piecing together (literally) chapter three, lesson 2—and piecing together in my mind, yet another way that I do what Sarai did.
[upcoming 📕with @ourdailybread !]
I look at the brittle branches in my life and feel so ashamed and inadequate that I’m driven to “add on” to the promises of God. I try to staple my own fruit to the tree—proving that I am good and right and someone God can depend on.
But I’ve got it backward. God wants ME to depend on HIM for the fruit that only He can produce.
What’s the brittle branch in your family or your story? Could it be that God is waiting until you’re sure that it’s Him producing this fruit, and not you?
#waitingongod #promisesofgod #shapedbythepromise
Is fear paralyzing you? Is your busyness distracting you? Do your strongholds control you? Does your perspective distort you? Is your mediocrity diminishing you? Is your comfort pacifying you?
My friend @kjhuseby is releasing her book, She Who Dares TODAY!!
It’s an 8-week study on Learning to Live Dangerously for God. It will challenge you, encourage you and embolden you to live dangerously against the kingdom of evil.
Kristi says:
“I DARE you! Now is the time to say no to fear, and yes to God. Now is the time to unleash the power of God’s Holy Spirit, living in you. Now is the time to become a woman who DARES to live dangerously for God!” -Kristi Huseby
To learn more about Kristi, her global ministry to women and her book, visit her website: kristihuseby.com
Look for “She Who Dares” on Amazon.
https://amzn.to/3mqGa53
Congratulations, Kristi! I’m so proud of you!
At 13, Jessica stumbled upon pornography. She was lonely, and the porn chat rooms offered love and acceptance. And yet—similar to the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, pornography was not the harmless fruit Jessica supposed it was. Before long, it took over and threatened to destroy her whole life.
By age 17, Jessica was spending several hours a day, accessing online pornography—then spending the rest of her time trying to prove to everyone that she was perfect. She tried stopping, and she couldn`t. She tried self-harm, and it didn`t work. She even tried getting caught, and it was assumed surely it wasn`t her porn, since she was a young woman, not a man.
In this episode, Jessica and I are walking through her story, and comparing it to the story of Eden in Genesis 1-3, which we`ve been looking at in season 4 of Live Like It`s True.
Learn how Jessica broke free from the power of sin and shame, and how can you can, too.
Also, check out Jessica’s new book with @readbakerbooks , “Quenched” (swipe right).
#pornographyaddiction #womenandporn #livelikeitstrue #genesisstory #forbiddenfruit #pornproblems #thetruthwillsetyoufree #freedomfromporn #truthstory #freeindeed
@beggarsdaughter
What does Genesis—which was written thousands of years before the church was born—have to say about women in ministry?
It’s a fair question, and I got to talk with my friend @designedbychey about it this week on the Live Like It’s True podcast!
Did you know Cheyenne is the one who created this painting, “Return to the Tree of Life”. Visit shannonpopkin.com to purchase!
#originstory
#creationstory
#Genesis
#AdamandEve
#painting
#watercolor
#treeofknowledgeofgoodandevil
#treeoflife
#livelikeitstrue
#podcast
#Biblepodcast
#overarchingstory
#onetruestory
#giveaway
#freepainting
#freeart
“Pilgrim” with @arisecollectivetheatre @cornerstoneu ! It was incredibly moving. I am a Christian on a journey, and though I can’t see him, my King is with me—guiding, comforting, and protecting each leg of the journey.
I’m so grateful I have these beautiful pilgrims (my house church friends) with me on the journey. ❤️
But he’s DOING IT WRONG!!!
If you’re struggling with the idea of submission, I get it. I do.
Yet I’ve also tried feeling my way, letting my emotions guide me—with no authority other than my own. It didn’t lead anywhere I want to go.
These last two weeks on the Live Like It’s True podcast, we are talking about God’s org chart in marriage and the church. But I wanted to also look specifically at submission. The article in my post shared a personal story, how I wrestled with submission over something ridiculously small, and how I discovered God’s freedom when I aligned my marriage to his design.
https://wp.me/p7IZQm-8e5
#submissioninmarriage #LiveLikeIt’sTrue #complementarianism #biblicalwomanhood #marriagecounseling #marriageministry #godsdesignformarriage
The owner of our previous house, @hellojenniejune , found this stuck inside the closet door. 😯🤭
It’s a sticky relic from my “Control Girl Mama” era. 🤦♀️😆 I wonder how many hundreds of sticky notes I left all over this house. I’m glad I can laugh about it now, but often my #controlgirl incidents weren’t funny.
Once—after my husband ate the chicken I was planning to serve for dinner, I stuck blue sickies on a dozen containers in the fridge I didn’t want him eating from. He opened the door and was confronted with a plethora of blue notes and exclamation marks. 😬🤦♀️🥹 #poorken
I often shake my head, remembering what great lengths I have gone, to control outcomes—whether of an afternoon nap, my dinner plans, or something far more important.
I often say, “Now that I have big kids, there are just bigger things I’d like to control.” Yet I’m so thankful I’ve found the settled peace from recognizing that God is ultimately in control—so I don’t have to be.
By the way, @hellojenniejune and I first got connected last spring after Shutterfly sent my order to her (my old) house.
She saw my name and had read my book, and wondered, “Am I living in the Control Girl house??!” 😂
Now we have a relic to prove it!
@hellojenniejune when you host a Control Girl study, please invite me over to meet your group, and point out exactly where some of those stories took place!!
#controlgirl #stickynotes #relic #myoldhouse #fastfriends #godisincontrol #idonthavetocontroleverything
Are there any women trying to control things at your church? And are there any shepherding men, who are ignoring the women at your church?
If you`ve ever rolled up your sleeves in church ministry, you know that there are often pitfalls and frustrations, when we—as men and women—try to blend our gifts in the church. In this episode, we`re going to talk about how to cultivate a fruitful complementarianism in the local church—one where brothers and sisters realize they are better together, by God`s design.
In this conversation, we`re talking again about Complementarianism. I have my friend Cheyenne Werner with me, talking about women`s ministry in the church, and what we learn about it in Genesis 1-3.
Cheyenne Werner @designedbychey
Be sure to check out Chey’s work!! She is a wife and mom, and women`s ministry coordinator at Peace Church, here in West Michigan, where I live. She`s also an artist and she created the "Return to the Tree of Life" painting, which coordinates with season 4.
Follow Chey @designedbychey
Find the new episode in my bio!
#LiveLikeItsTrue #TrueStory #BiblePodcast #theBible #wordofGod #StudyGodsWord #BibleStudy #BiblesStory #Storytelling #StorytellingPodcast #ChristianPodcast #ChristianWomen #TheGospel #creationstory #createdbygod #thefall #gardenofeden #adamandeve #manandwife #manandwoman #genesisstudy #thetruthwillsetyoufree #falsenarratives #thebible #knowthestory #Genesis1 #complentarianism #Bibleandmarriage #graceandhope
“Underneath those desires was a heart filled with good needs to be seen and known and loved. That’s what we all have. We can see that in creation - studying Genesis 1 through 3, like we all want to be seen and known and loved. And ALL of us, because of the fall are born with a natural default, predisposition or orientation, if you will, to get the good needs of our heart met in ways that don’t actually satisfy, and don’t glorify God.” - @laurie_krieg
Catch this week’s bonus episode on the Live Like it’s True podcast.
Laurie Krieg is a coach/consultant, speaker, author, and podcast host whose mission is to equip Jesus-followers with a gospel-centered approach to sexuality.
Follow Laurie: @laurie_krieg
https://www.shannonpopkin.com/lgbt-marriage-genesis-laurie-krieg/
#LiveLikeItsTrue #TrueStory #BiblePodcast #theBible #wordofGod #StudyGodsWord #BibleStudy #BiblesStory #Storytelling #StorytellingPodcast #ChristianPodcast #ChristianWomen #TheGospel #creationstory #createdbygod #thefall #gardenofeden #adamandeve #manandwife #manandwoman #genesisstudy #thetruthwillsetyoufree #falsenarratives #thebible #knowthestory #Genesis1 #LGBT #Bibleandmarriage #graceandhope
