Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 1 Peter 5:8-9
I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché, “The grass is always greener on the other side,” where we think about trading in our life for another because ours seems way too complicated or boring. Even though we understand intellectually that that’s an absurd way to measure our life, from time to time we still look longingly around, considering what it would be like to tend someone else’s landscape rather than our own. We look at the life we lead every day, at our own familiar yard, at the same situations, challenges, and hurdles as the day before, and we get complacent about taking care of it all. We glance around at the lives of others and we see something that seems just a little bit better; a little bit easier. What we don’t realize is that we’ve got blinders on, and it’s high time we take them off.
Scripture speaks directly to this in 1 Peter 5:9 – “Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” I don’t know about you, but what I see there is, “You’re all in the same boat, people!” Well if we’re all in the same boat, I suppose I can stop wasting my time wishing that I had someone else’s life, right? Right. But how do I resist the urge to covet a trade-in?
The answer is found in knowing and believing that you are loved by God, and that you were created by His hand for a very specific purpose. Scripture is overflowing with exactly that kind of love and promise. Just rest for a moment and consider these:
I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5
I will be your God throughout your lifetime; until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.
Isaiah 46:4
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand.
Psalm 139:17-18
There is so much more, my friends – so much more. The Bible is a veritable love letter, written by God and addressed to you. These few scriptures aren’t even the tip of the iceberg. I would have to type for days to even put a dent in explaining how much the Lord adores you. But with every promise you read and discover, your side of the fence and your grass will be just as green and lush as you dream of. Not because the day-dream fairies sneak in and re-landscape for you, but because the Word of God nourishes and fertilizes the life you already have.
Thank You, Lord, for helping me to realize that my life is exactly the one You chose for me. When I feel tired, bored, or overwhelmed, please remind me that I’m not tending to my life on my own. You are always there, ever present, offering support, guidance, and love. Please nudge me back to Your promises any time I start to lose my focus. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
