Love Has No Expiration Date
Ephesians 3:20-21 — Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
I did not notice it at first, the habit I was forming. It felt harmless. Normal. I checked my phone while I waited for the coffee to brew, then again a few minutes later.
There on my screen I saw a friend who just graduated, earning a new title. Someone else had traveled somewhere pretty. Somebody younger than me just started some big, meaningful, and impressive business. Another just finished running a marathon.
And there it is—that pinch in my chest that says, “Well, Tammi… look at your life.”
At this point in my life, I’m closer to the tomb than the womb. That’s just math. And it has a way of making me ask uncomfortable questions, like what I’ve actually done with all the years God handed me.
That’s my bad habit, playing the comparison game.
And sometimes it really gets to me. I start measuring my life against everybody else’s highlight reels. That never goes well. I catch myself staring at a browser tab that might as well be titled “Why Not Me.”
I tell myself it’s probably too late to make a difference now. That the best I’ve got to offer has already been spent.
Then something small usually interrupts my spiral. It’s usually something ordinary. A friend thanks me for listening when no one else had time. A neighbor mentions that one meal I cooked for them and how it blessed them on a day they were barely holding it together. Things I had already forgotten about were invaluable for someone else.
I had forgotten that God is working in me and had done more through my life than I even knew. Ephesians 3:20–21 says, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Somehow, God isn’t limited by my timeline the way I am. He’s still working with what I’ve got—right here, right now—using small, faithful things to do more than I could ever dream. Apparently, He has been doing this a long time.
So I closed that “Why Not Me” tab.
I open my planner instead. The real one. And I write down something simple: Do one thing today for somebody else.
Turns out, dreams don’t have expiration dates. Neither does kindness. So let’s stop comparing ourselves. Whether we’re baking or blessing, mentoring or mending, there’s always someone who could use what you can give. Maybe today it’s a phone call or a note or a meal made with a little extra butter. Maybe it’s just showing up when it would be easier not to.
And maybe that’s how God will do more in your life than you could ever ask or imagine— by living for Him one ordinary, heartfelt moment at a time.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- Where do you find yourself comparing your life to others most often?
- How has comparison shaped the way you view your own story or purpose?
- Can you name a small moment when God used something ordinary you did to bless someone else?
- What does it look like for you to trust that God is still working—right here, right now?
- What is one simple act of faithfulness or kindness you could choose today instead of comparison?
