Overcoming Comparison!

Comparison is one of the fastest ways to lose sight of your calling—and in this episode, we’re confronting it head-on.

Join us on the Protect the Altar Podcast as Anna Sotelo shares her powerful and personal journey of overcoming comparison and learning to walk in true obedience to God. Through honest storytelling and spiritual insight, Anna opens up about the struggle of measuring herself against others, the impact it had on her identity, and how God led her into freedom.

This conversation is for worship leaders, creatives, and anyone who has ever felt the pressure to keep up, measure up, or be someone else. You’ll be reminded that your assignment is unique, your obedience matters, and God’s plan for you isn’t found in comparison—it’s found in surrender.

🔥 In this episode, we cover:

•  The root of comparison and how it subtly creeps in 
•  How comparison affects your calling and confidence 
•  Anna’s turning point and encounter with God 
•  Practical ways to stay grounded in obedience 
•  Embracing your unique assignment in the Kingdom 

If this episode encouraged you, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs this reminder today.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

She says that God is your door. People are not your door. Because a lot of times people will bleed the lie that, oh, so and so didn't let me do this. So and so didn't open the door. Listen, God is the Lord of all. So He's the one who gives. Job said last week, Dad mentioned this, and he's the one who takes away. But he's also the one who opens doors that no man can shut, and he shuts doors that no man can open. So God is your door. He's the one who makes the way. So we have to trust him. That he's putting us when we're submitted to his lordship and being obedient to Christ, he's putting us exactly where we need to be when we need to be there, and no one can stop us from being in the will of God. Nothing. The gates of hell cannot prevail against us.

SPEAKER_03 0:43

There's no room for questioning who you are. When you are completely free in the Lord, the enemy always will try his stuff. But it becomes more obvious. I think just being yourself in the sense of like knowing who God has created you to be, that's all that there is to it. It's not like a science, it's not like a formula that you have to do. I think it really is so important just to know who God has called you to be. Biological. Slam that in there.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Biological sister. Anna Nicole Estes Sotello. Welcome to the podcast. How are you doing today, Anna? Thank you. I'm excited to be here. Yeah, well, we had to get you on because you've not been on yet. You know, we've had the whole family on except for you. Yeah. And so we had to get you. And so I always say uh biological because me and um our brother Steven literally people would say we look like twins. Copy paste. It was like copy paste, literally, like the male-female version. And then Anna comes, surprise, and she has like curly hair, darker features, and just like like a whole different side of our family she looks like. So we we joke about that. And so we're just excited that we get to talk about all things worship because many people don't even realize that we both are worship leaders. And uh you have been leading worship now for a decade and uh the Lord has taken you on a journey, and I think your journey is so powerful and so helpful. And so today um the topic that we're gonna be talking about is overcoming comparison. A lot of worship leaders, they are inundated with comparison. The enemy loves to bring that because if we can get our eyes off of Jesus, if we can get our eyes off of how God's created us, what he's called us to do, and we can look at what other people are doing or how maybe the Lord's wired other people, then we can question the validity of God's word over our own life. And then it takes us out of our position. It takes us out of that place of faith, that place of hope and expectation. And so, for those who may not know your story, can you say just a little bit about you and like your perspective and being raised in our, you know, pastor, pastoral family, and give us a little context before we dive into this whole revelation that you had?

SPEAKER_03 3:30

Yeah. So, I mean, from a young age, you know, we're in ministry our entire lives, and I loved ministry. I loved, you know, everything about it. And um, I remember Deborah like came out singing, and that was not the case for me. I did not enjoy music as much as she did. Um road trips. Yeah, road trips. I would be begging, mom, please make her stop singing. Um, it normally did not work for longer than two minutes um of silence in the car. It was like torment. It was like you were tormented by the singing. I do think I was just probably more little sister thing than actually being bothered.

SPEAKER_02 4:11

But no, but I I do think you were overstimulated because your brain was just like very hyperactive, you're very, very smart. And so I think it was overstimulating for you. And then I would feel like I was slowly dying, I was decaying on the inside every moment of silence.

SPEAKER_03 4:25

Anytime we were like, and we had our own like little DVD players, and like I'm like, I'm trying to watch this movie, and my sister won't stop singing about every little thing. Um, so from even from a young age, that was always Deborah's thing. And like I never, I don't even remember how I believed that lie that I was not allowed to sing because it was Deborah's, and or I didn't want to be compared to her because I already knew, felt like, oh, I look different than my brother and sister. I look, I feel this, and it's just like little lies of the enemy planted. And no one has to say them.

SPEAKER_02 5:02

You just you just observe, like, you know, little little things like, oh, I have darker hair, or I have curly hair and they don't, and so I'm different.

SPEAKER_03 5:12

Yes. So it's like I like wanted to feel like I'm the black duck, you know. But as a kid, I was like, I'm gonna do everything but sing. I went into theater classes, I did every sport, I played basketball for like five years. I did everything.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

You did interior design. Let's talk about that for a second. I yeah, I we just recently found the photos of our childhood home. Oh my gosh. When when my parents posted it, listed it um for sale probably 10 years ago. No more than that. 15 years ago. 15 years ago. It was like probably 15 to 17 years ago. They listed it, and it was our childhood home. It's the one Steven was, you know, in the longest. And Anna found the photos, and we were dying laughing at the difference between our rooms.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

Like our rooms, Deborah's room was here, and my room was here, and there was a hallway in between. And you go to Deborah's, she's five years older than me. So makes sense. Super classy, like gray walls, gray and black. Yeah, it was everything was gray and white and black. That was her color scheme. And so she looked very, you know, put together. And you go to my door, and it was like rainbow sparkle explosion. For my 10th birthday, I begged them to do a room makeover, and this is all I wanted for my birthday.

SPEAKER_02 6:34

And you watch you might watch too much HD TV.

SPEAKER_03 6:37

Yes, that was my favorite, you know, network. And so I had them put laminate flooring in our carpeted. Yes, laminate flooring, bright yellow walls that like when you turn the light off, it still looks bright in the room. I had like sequined, like metallic blue bedding with rainbow everything. There was a rainbow, sprinkle, rub, the car, the curtains were every. I am so we were swiping through the photos. You see Deborah's like very mature room, and then you swipe through mine, and it's like ah happiness. Yeah, so that was my like first step into it. I thought I did such a great job then.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

And then you were like all these basic people, and then I'm over here, the unique black swan. So creative. I'm so creative. Yeah, and so you were creative in literally every sense of the word. Like I remember whatever craft you were doing, or painting lessons, painting, sewing lessons.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

I did everything. Violin lessons for a little violin for a little bit, yep. Um, so everything besides what God had called me to do.

SPEAKER_02 7:43

And it was crazy because you had those desires, but like you would keep pushing them down, right?

SPEAKER_03 7:47

Yeah. No, I literally I would enjoy singing. I knew I didn't have a bad voice.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

I knew And like you would sing in the corner and you'd be like, Are you noticing me?

SPEAKER_03 7:56

So when Deborah, oh, this is so funny to me. So one of the producers, Matt, um, he's been with us for a long time now. And when they was first starting out, it was Deborah, and then they would be recording. And you know, I'm a little sister, so I just get stuck in a corner, or not stuck in a corner. Nobody but you belong, you know. I was homeschooled, I didn't have anything to do. So I would just go do my work and over there. And I, you know, one time they're just talking, and I remember I was sitting on the couch outside of the room, and I'm like, Matt's gonna notice me today. I started singing like Hannah Montana, and I was like, Oh, please give us a little taste. Oh no, it was so bad. I need to know which song. It might have been best of both worlds. Yeah. So I'm like singing on the couch, and I'm like, he's got headphones on, he's definitely not paying any attention to this eight-year-old over here singing you on the couch. Um, but I remember that story, and I think it's so funny because like then I was like, oh, he didn't notice me, so I'm never gonna sing again. But like he literally was mastering and mixing everything.

SPEAKER_02 9:01

It's the angst for me, it's the drama, it's the like, I'm different, I'm unique. Like it's just you are so funny, but awesome, and that's the way the Lord wired you. And so it was just so cool to see. But you were pushing down this call of God on your life to sing for so many years, all because your sister sang. And I know I never told you that you couldn't sing.

SPEAKER_03 9:29

And what's crazy is like Deborah was one of my biggest role models growing up. I looked up to Deborah in every aspect. I like anything she wanted to do, like anything she did beside if it wasn't singing, I wanted to do too. I'm like, I was her biggest one fan, like fan. I would be 10 years old and cheering. Like, that's my big sister up there. And like, I would, you know, I love Deborah. I knew all the songs I had written. Yes, everything she written. Like, she wrote a song and like she would unveil herself as like an unmasked, and I would be in the crowd doing it with her on my own. Like, I had my own mat on it was terrible. It was so bad.

SPEAKER_02 10:07

Okay, okay, okay, hold on, hold on. We can't move on because I need people, I need them to visualize this and how unique, how unique you were. So you would also be in the crowd, and you were so like even your outfits. Oh, like no one I remember mom and dad would try to tell you, Anna, don't wear that. You would try to save me in moments. I would literally try to hide clothes of yours. Yeah, and you would literally, you would not have it. And you said, you you said, no, this is what I want to wear. Oh this is this is me. Stop trying to change me. Stop trying. And you would get so angry at us. But to give a little context, you had an obsession with tutus.

SPEAKER_03 10:51

Oh my gosh, you gotta bring this up every time. Yeah, it was really bad. Because it was so cute. Okay, but it was big cute if it was like, you know, eight years old or under, but I was 12 wearing tutus and jeans. It was and jeans. It was pretty bad. And then with long t-shirts over the tutu.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

I'm like, you know, you were ahead of your time.

SPEAKER_03 11:13

Oh my god. You're ahead of your time. It was so bad.

SPEAKER_02 11:15

So it was so cool because like no one could put you in a box, no one could tell you any differently. You were very stubborn on the things that you loved, except for this one thing. Yeah. And so then I want you to take me to that moment of where you encounter the Lord and things begin to change for you.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

Yeah. Um, I remember it so clearly because it's like one of the biggest markers in my life. I was 15 years old. We were in at a conference worshiping in the new year, and I remember uh the Lord told me like to step away. So everybody's like counting down and they're like praising the Lord into the new year. They're all like happy, and I'm over in the corner crying because I'm like hearing the Lord so clearly. Um, and I had been praying, Lord, what do you want me to do? Like in this season, like I'm um halfway through high school and uh, you know, I'm going through all these season changes. Lord, I just want to be obedient to you. And I remember him saying, Well, you're not being obedient to me. And I was like, Hold on, what? I've done everything like I thought was right, I've done all the things, you know, I was doing my prayer time, and you know, I was like very put together for a little 15-year-old. And I'm like, What do you mean I'm not being obedient? He's like, Well, I've called you to worship and you're holding back your worship from me. And I mean, that like got me in my heart, and I was like, Whoa. And so everybody's like celebrating, and I'm just over here, and I'm like getting encountered by the Lord, and I'm like, I've I guess I've not been obedient. And he's like, Yeah, you haven't been, because I've called you to release something over my people, and you're holding that back. And so we got back from the trip, and I told Deborah, I'm like, Deborah, wherever you want me to do, just put me anywhere, I'll serve, I'll do whatever. Because, you know, I'm like, I will not been obedient. You know, I'm like, I have a little bit of drama drama in me. So I'm like, a little bit, yeah. So I remember talking to Deborah after that, and there was a youth prayer set, and she's like, Okay, well, I just want you to serve here. Um, and I was like, okay, whatever you want me to do, I'll do. And so for a few years, you know, I was under that ministry, and then I remember I was like maybe 17 or 18 before I was asked to do even just BGVs on um a Sunday worship team. And even then, I was like, Oh, you know, that was like so honoring. I felt like, okay, well, I'm doing what God has told me to do. And even though it looked different, I'm like, I didn't even want to lead a song because I just wanted to be obedient. I was like, I don't need a lead, I just want to do what God told me to do.

SPEAKER_02 14:01

That is so powerful, and my heart like goes out to people in situations where they find themselves, their hearts are a lot like Jonah. And Jonah struggled, and he didn't want to go to Nineveh because he had a personal thing against the people of Nineveh, and the people of Nineveh were cruel, and they were they were they were barbaric in many ways, and they were hostile towards you know, his people, and so he had like personal things against them, and he didn't want to go there, you know. And there's a lot of times we find ourselves in those same situations where we feel like I don't want to do what God's called me to do because so-and-so, because they're doing it, you know, and I don't that's not for me. God, I want something more unique, you know, whatever it is, or maybe it's like I don't want to go there because I don't like those people, or I don't whatever, whatever the case may be. And then we find ourselves in in Jonah's situation where we have the heart of Jonah, and that breaks my heart because you know, the enemy wants to keep us there. He wants us to sulk, he wants us to be isolated, he wants us to not be in our positions because of whatever offense or or whatever demonic lie we've believed about our calling. And so in that moment, you realized that without, you know, the Lord telling you this, this is just what I'm you know, putting together is that you probably had a lot of that Jonah mentality of like I don't want to do that. I don't want to do it and then the Lord He showed you like you're not doing what I've asked you to do.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

And the fact that you so quickly switched, the fact that you so quickly humbled yourself and you were like, put me anywhere. Like if the if the point is to be obedient and that's true worship to you, then put me anywhere. If I gotta put myself out there, if I gotta be BGVs, I don't need to lead a set set, I don't need to lead a song. I just want to be obedient. Like that is so beautiful, and that is true worship to the Lord.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:09

So in that season, as you're navigating putting yourself out there, and it is vulnerable. How did you deal with that? How did you deal with comparison? And people will be like, Oh, you're Deborah's little sister, or you're this, and yeah, how did you deal with that?

SPEAKER_03 16:21

Yeah, I think it was really difficult because, in a sense, where you know, I was like finally being obedient, but the comparison still didn't stop. You know, I still had to swallow the lies and be like, no, that's the enemy, but it still took me, I feel like a slow journey to realize that because it wasn't like overnight. And then I felt like then I was being put on a team where I was like next to you, and I was like, now the enemy's comparing to me, like to what songs I've led, and like all these little things, um, like our vocal ranges. They, you know, they were similar but different. And I'm like, every little lie, I'm like the enemy was trying to slip in, and some of them I like believed, and I'm I will like believe the lies of like, oh, I'm not good at timing, I'm not good at this, and like so it would be other things that would start comparing myself versus just truly worshiping, and like there were you know the times of spontaneous, like flowing, and you know, you're not gonna learn that overnight, you're not gonna be super in tune when you just start out. It's a process, and you have to learn how to be vulnerable because you're leading people, but it also is a vulnerable place, and that vulnerability has never been easy for me in any sense. So I'm like having to learn that it was really hard because one, I had to find my own worth in that I was called to do that and believe that just a hundred percent. But then, you know, there's doubt and there's all these other factors that you know, as me, as my planning, I'm like, oh well, I have to do this and I have to do this. And I remember the Lord told me um before Sunday set, he was like, and I don't want you to plan anything. I'm not asking you to plan anything, I don't want you to do anything. All I want you to do is worship. And then I remember for a while, maybe like three years, every time before I would leave, not before the set, literally before I would start singing a verse, I had to tell the tell the Lord, Lord, I give this to you. This is my worship, it is not a performance. And I did that for three years straight anytime I led, right before I sang. I would just you know close my eyes before you know Karen starts telling us verse one uh or her intro.

SPEAKER_02 18:39

And that's what we call our multi-tracks cue, yes, or guide. Yes, if it's a girl, we call her Karen.

SPEAKER_03 18:46

Yes. So anytime she before she'd lead us in, I would, you know, try to you know say that prayer real quick because it really isn't about me, it's about the obedience. And I think that's what the enemy wants to do is turn our focus on ourselves or turn our focus on other people, and that's never what it was supposed to be. And you know, now I'm like, I love when we get to worship together because I'm like, that's my sister, and like I love leading together.

SPEAKER_02 19:15

That's so good. I love this because you uh just uh talked about something that I think a lot of people go through, yeah, and it's like this this tension and this internal war of so many creative individuals who want to and have a need to be unique and want to be different, but we have to surrender that on the altar of the Lord in order to be obedient, oftentimes. It's like sometimes what's more important, our uniqueness, our individuality, or our obedience to Christ. And you laid it on the altar and you like, you know what, I'm not gonna compare myself. I'm gonna see, and I think that that's if we can get to that place of celebrating the way that God wired each individual, yeah, it is so freeing because then you appreciate the way God made them and you can see the creative genius of the Lord through them, you know, and how each individual person on a worship team or in a worship ministry brings something different to a table to the table and to the set, and we can rejoice in that and it's really freeing and we can celebrate one another. Like you led that song so well because maybe they have the authority on that, you know, topic, or maybe it's they have personal encounter with the Lord that they are tapping into and singing that from a real genuine place of faith, and it breaks something in the room. We need each other, and so I I think that's that is so powerful. And I'm reminded of um the scripture, Matthew chapter 18. Um, the disciples, they were they were kind of you know going back and forth and they came and they came to Jesus and they said, Who then is the greatest in the kingdom? And he called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said, Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. And that just moves me so much because when you watch children, like they're not trying to like gain a title, right? They're not trying to, you know, elevate themselves or create an image. And I I think that that is so Luciferian, it's so demonic when worship leaders try to curate an image of coolness or relevance or style that it becomes more important than being lowly and being humble. Now, that doesn't mean you can't be a vibe. Right. That doesn't mean you can't like be a vibe and you walk into a place. And you believe that you are who God calls you to be. But it's different when you're trying to curate something inauthentically and for the sake of impressing others. Right. And I think this is what was happening in that time, the disciples, you know, and even there are other conversations about John the Baptist and his disciples. And there's all of this, you know, conversation about like, okay, well, they're baptizing, and and you know, John the Baptist disciples are like, you know, Jesus, everybody's going over there to Jesus' disciples, you know. And it became like this competitive thing. And and John immediately said, I have to become less and he must increase. Like, yeah, because John knew the whole point of it all was Jesus, wasn't Himself. He was to prepare the way. And that is what worship leaders do. We welcome in the presence of God. We lead people into his presence. And when we make it about comparison about ourselves, we're making it about something that it's not. Right. And so I think that what was so beautiful about your story is that you immediately transformed into that thought process of a child, of I'll go low, I will be obedient. That takes so much humility. And how did when you did that, how did comparison affect the way you saw your assignment versus someone else's?

SPEAKER_03 23:19

Yeah, I think it it changed a lot. I think it became more of like in First Corinthians, where Paul talks about, you know, the we are all members of the body and we all have different unique abilities and we have different tasks. And I think when we think about it like that versus, oh, we're both worship leaders, this is the same, but it's not the same. It's it's different in their own way. That's right. And I think you have to understand what your calling is first, and then you just do what God tells you to do. It doesn't matter what the other person's calling is, you cheer them on for what they're supposed to do. But you know, the hand and feet are totally different parts of the body. They're not gonna have the same task, they're not gonna have the same, you know, ability to do things, like your foot's not gonna reach up and you know, open a door for you. Um so I think that's where it started to, you know, the truth started to sink in. And I had to realize this, no, this is anytime the enemy's like, oh, maybe you shouldn't be doing this, the enemy would say those things, and I'm just like, no, this is what the Lord said to do. And it doesn't matter who's being recognized, it doesn't matter who is being put out in the open. You know, I'm just doing what God has told me to do. I'm being obedient. And then I think that's when, you know, worship is so powerful when somebody who is leading in worship believes the the truth and believes the word of God, because then that's when his presence comes in, it is through obedience. And so you have to be in that position where you let everything else go. Because it's not about anything else except for worshiping him. Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 25:04

And so I was gonna ask you, and I think you just answered the question. I was gonna ask you, what do you do in real time when comparison thoughts hit you right before leading worship? But it's yeah, what you just said. You say no.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

Yeah, you say absolutely no.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

This is what God's called me to do. I'm being obedient. Yep. And and like you said, we are different members of the same body. Yeah, we have to stop trying to operate without each other.

SPEAKER_03 25:25

Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

We absolutely intricately need each other as the body of Christ. So, how do you define faithfulness to being obedient to the Lord in a culture that celebrates visibility? So you talked about in the beginning, you just served in um in a prayer set kind of function for the first several years before even joining the Sunday morning team. And then when you joined the Sunday morning team, you just did PGVs for a little bit. So, how did you deal with that kind of thing?

SPEAKER_03 25:54

I think it's just showing up. I think it's coming to what you're supposed to do. Um, I think our ministry, we have a great, you know, framework of how things are supposed, and everybody's timeline is different. Some people the Lord pushes up really quickly, and some, you know, you have to build. And I think, you know, you celebrate those people around you, but you just show up and you be faithful. You know, being in the word, showing up in your prayer time before you even step on a stage is so important. And you can't lead people. I think um we were talking about this the other day, where like you can't lead people where you're not supposed to be. And I think that dad said that last week on your podcast. And I'm just like, that's all it is. You have to have a relationship with the Lord and you have to be faithful in your work and your craft is to do that and have a relationship. And maybe it's showing up and doing voice lessons or working your craft because God has given these gifts, and sometimes the gifts have to be molded, exactly, and you have to put in the work before anything else.

SPEAKER_02 27:04

And that's a sacrifice of praise unto the Lord as well. And I love something that mom always says she says that God is your door, people are not your door because a lot of times people will believe the lie that, oh, so and so didn't let me do this, so-and-so didn't open the door. Listen, God is the the Lord of all. Yeah, so he's the one who gives. Job said last week, dad mentioned this, and he's the one who takes away. But he's also the one who opens doors that no man can shut, and he shuts doors that no man can open. So God is your door, he's the one who makes the way. So we have to trust him that he's putting us when we're submitted to his lordship and being obedient to Christ, he's putting us exactly where we need to be when we need to be there, and no one can stop us from being in the will of God. Nothing. The gates of hell cannot prevail against us. And so, what does freedom from comparison actually feel like now?

SPEAKER_03 27:57

Yeah, I just feel like there's no room for questioning who you are when you are completely free in the Lord. I mean, there the enemy always will try his stuff, but it becomes more obvious. Oh, yeah. And like, I think just being yourself in the sense of like knowing who God has created you to be, that's all that there is to it. It's not like a science, it's not like a formula that you have to do. I think it really is so important just to know who God has called you to be. And love that. Yes, love who's got who God called you to be.

SPEAKER_02 28:33

Because like if you hate who God's called you to be, I mean, I I rem I'm gonna put myself out there. I remember when I received, you know, certain prophetic words, I was like, really, God, really, this was the assignment you have in my life. And I just wasn't celebrating it. And because I didn't understand it, yeah, I didn't fully understand it. And then as I just began to just like give it to the Lord, and then God began to like show me how cool that assignment was, yeah, I began to fall in love with what he's called me to do and who he's called me to, and that that is actually what is most fulfilling in my life.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 29:11

Then trying to do someone else's assignment. Yeah, to do the assignment he's given me is the most fulfilling thing I can do in my life. To to follow to, like dad said last week, the purpose-driven life, to live the purpose-driven life is the most fulfilled life. And so, how has overcoming comparison changed the way you lead worship?

SPEAKER_03 29:29

I think a lot of the times before I would be so hesitant, I would hold back, and then that would ultimately throw me off of everything. Um, I'd be so up here. And I think whenever you fully give it to the Lord and you're just saying, I'm worshiping him, that is the most freeing thing. And then you're able to lead from a place of freedom. You're able to lead where you're not thinking about anything else except for worshiping God. And that is ultimately where I always want to be. I don't want to be in my head, you know, counting and blah, blah, blah, whatever it's supposed to be, because it's really just worship to the Lord. And I think God has asked us, you know, for excellence in that. But that's maybe looking like for me, it was learning, you know, different chord structures so that I would know the feeling. And I think whenever you learn that and you learn how to just ultimately be in the music in the moment where God is leading, then you're able to go out and to that place.

SPEAKER_02 30:36

Yeah, that's really good. Okay, well, this has been incredible, and I love this. And I love that now you're in this place of like power and authority, and like really walking in who God's created you uniquely to be, and not trying to fit somebody else's mold, you know, like David trying to put on Saul's armor. You know, David had to go the way that God had trained him to go, and it looked different than Saul. And I think that it's really powerful whenever we are really comfortable in our own skin and then the way the Lord has designed and created us in every intricate detail. Yeah, God chose every intricate detail about you, from your family heritage to your skin tone, to your nationality, to the language that you speak, to even the way that he's wired you internally, he chose it. Of course, we get transformed by the power of his blood, but truly the uniqueness. Yeah, you know, the true uniqueness of each individual is so beautiful and it glorifies the creator when you walk in that, in it in the fullness of what he's called you to do. It glorifies him because it shows how creative our God is. So I just encourage everybody that you know who's been dealing with comparison, that that would be broken off of you in Jesus' name. Yes. And so we're gonna move to our next segment and praise or pass, where we're gonna get Anna to react to a viral video on the internet and see if she would praise or pass it. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

One of the most dangerous things about comparison and worship leadership is that it quietly changes your focus. When you start comparing your church, your team, your moments, your social media, the quality of your worship to somebody else's, your attention begins to shift. And instead of looking upward to God, you start looking sideways at other ministries. And worship was never meant for you to look sideways, it is always meant for us to look upward. Comparison doesn't just discourage you, it slowly pulls your heart away from where real worship is cultivated and grown. God isn't asking you to lead other people's rooms, he's asking you to be faithful to yours.

SPEAKER_03 32:43

My drop. I think that's nothing but truth. Yes. So you praise that. Yeah, praise on that.

SPEAKER_02 32:51

Yeah, that that last line was my favorite part where he said, God's not calling you to lead someone else's room. Yes, or other people's rooms. He's asking you to lead yours. And I think that is like the journey the Lord's taken us both on. Yeah. Is to be appreciative of where God's called us. Not trying to like pine for other people's stages or other people's churches or other people, just be faithful where he's called us. Absolutely. And you know, what is he calling you to build, you know? And it may be on a small scale, but then it can become really extraordinarily impactful and effective in glorifying of the Lord.

SPEAKER_03 33:31

Yeah, I think it's all of that is so true. And like being faithful with the little, being faithful with what God's called you for now, because that sets you up for the future. Maybe God's asking you to learn with what you have right in front of you. You can't go teach multitudes if you can't even teach the people in the front of you in the same room in your ministries.

SPEAKER_02 33:54

That's why, you know, one of the requirements of elders in the New Testament is that their families serve the Lord. Yeah. Because how are you going to have any authority over others if you can't even have authority in your own own home? And so that's something that I feel like we gotta, we gotta kind of come back to that realization is we want to, we want to join, we want to bandwagon other people's large building, what they've spent their lifetime building, or we want to compare what God is just starting to build in our communities to what God's been building for decades in someone else's community. And you could be the difference maker, you know, and that's what the Lord told me a long time ago. He said, if you'll be faithful to where I've called you, yeah, you're you're gonna be able to see that I'm gonna build something unique and powerful there.

SPEAKER_03 34:46

Right.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

Instead of trying to look at other places and be like, well, I could just move here, I can just join this ministry, I could just do this. It's like, why don't we just be faithful where God's called us?

SPEAKER_03 34:57

Right, absolutely. And I think even with adding to what he said, where comparison pulls our focus from God to, you know, other peoples, I think and also comparison takes it to ourselves and makes us look inwardly when worship isn't supposed to be that. Worship isn't about you, it's not about anybody else, it's only about God. And so, and that's how it should be. Right. And so I think that's where I think even in our ministry, the worship writing has gone to as well, where it's also inwardly focused, and we have to get back to the point where the whole purpose is to serve and praise the Lord. Exactly. And I think you know, that's so true what he said.

SPEAKER_02 35:44

It also produces a lack of faith because I'm reminded of the 10 spies when they well, it was actually 12 spies who was they were going to look at the land that God had promised them. And when they went to go look, 10 out of the 12 came back with the reports that we are like grasshoppers in their eyes. No one said that to them. That's how they saw themselves. So they were comparing their stature to the inhabitants of that land, and they said, What that's how we look to them.

SPEAKER_01 36:11

Right.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

Instead of actually believing the the word of God that he was gonna give them that land. And so instead of believing that, they believed the lie that they were smaller in the eyes of the inhabitants of the land, so therefore they could not do it. And so they cowered and in fear, and it crippled them and it stopped them from actually possessing what God's called them to possess. And so a lot of times that happens, even as worship leaders, when we are comparing so many things that God never said, right, we actually it produces a lack of faith in God's word. And without faith, it's impossible to please God. So you can't actually do what God's called you to do if you don't have enough faith to do it. And so if you're constantly comparing, then you're not gonna actually possess what God wants you to possess in the spirit and in the natural.

SPEAKER_03 36:59

Absolutely. I think what you said it reminded me, it's like, how are we not going to believe the God who's done so much in our lives? Maybe if it's if what he's saying about you, you should believe that completely because what has he already done for you? Like, think about the testimonies of the Bible, like how they had just been, you know, the seas have already been parted, and they're still not believing that the God who could part the seas could go deliver them from their enemies again. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 37:29

So it's so baffling how quickly we can forget. And that's why we have to constantly stay in this place of prayer and not allow the lies of the enemy for comparison to come in so that we can make the difference that God wants us to make, so that we believe that anywhere God puts us, that He is the God who is able to equip us, to empower us, to grace us with the abilities in any room that we find ourselves in, and that He is with us. And so we're gonna move on to our next and final segment where it's frequently asked questions for worship leaders. All right, frequently asked questions. Today I want to ask you what would you say directly to any worship leader who is feeling overlooked? What would you say to them?

SPEAKER_03 38:14

I would encourage them to think about what was the last thing the Lord said to them and just to stand on that truth because the Lord already gives us so many scriptures in the Bible. We're fearfully and wonderfully made, you know, there are plans and we have a purpose. And so I just encourage you to believe that, believe the word of God wholeheartedly, because any other thing is a lie, and we have to believe if we don't believe the word of God about ourselves, how can we believe it about others and lead people into that uh place? But all we would lead them to is to believe a lie, because that's what we believe. So I've I would really encourage you just to believe the truth that is spoken over your life, what if whether if it's a prophetic word or if it's just going to scriptures over knowing who you are and just to trust that completely.

SPEAKER_02 39:10

That is powerful. We don't normally do this, but I would love for you to do this. I feel for those tuning in who may just feel like a cycle where they're they're doing good for a while and then comparison creeps back in, and then they they lose, they they start falling into insecurity, lack of faith, where they can't really be in accordance with God's will. Will you just pray for them that that cycle is broken and that people are truly set free from comparison and they can walk in the fullness of the calling that God's told them?

SPEAKER_03 39:40

Yes. God, right now we just thank you. We thank you for each person watching this that may be struggling, that they would be built on your foundation, Lord, that their foundation would be the truth of your word over their lives, and that that's all that matters, Lord, that every lie of the enemy would be broken off, that they would be starting to realize and to be able to spot any area that the enemy has a foothold in and where they have believed a lie. We ask that you would highlight areas of their life where they've taken root and they believe the lie. And we ask that you would fill that lie with the truth and you would reveal to them the truth about their identity, about their calling, about who you have said they are, and that there would be no confusion about that, that they would have a hundred percent faith of the God that they serve has called them to do this, that they are in the position that you have placed them in. They are exactly where they are supposed to be, God, and surround them with people who will remind them of the place that they're supposed to be in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 40:52

That's so good. Thank you, Anna, for coming on the podcast today.

SPEAKER_03 40:55

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 40:57

And sharing all of your revelation and your powerful testimony. And I love seeing who you are walking into being, that you are allowing the Lord to transform you into this powerful woman of God who really does write powerful songs, but also leads powerful sets and ministry. So I I love that and I'm proud of you. And so we thank you all for joining us today for another episode of Protecting Altar Podcast. And I hope that you join us next week for the next episode.