As we get older, we learn new
things and that is as it should be; it gets worrisome though when somethings
happen that make one feel like it’s still a whole lot of learning ahead at a
point in one’s life when it may seem wrong to be referred to as “young”. You
know when you feel like you amassed so much knowledge from the school called
life and there is little left to learn and then some things happen that make
you feel like all your knowledge is yet little; but it is not so. So, did you ever
hear the phrase “the grass always looks greener on the other side?” Well, it is
mostly true though a number of people argue that it isn’t. Reality though, is
that it isn’t always greener. This is my
point, greener or not, it isn’t your side. Just as an aside, if you do
crossover to that green side, it may not be as green as you thought and even if
it is, since it isn’t yours, you may not be so effective at caring for it and
as a result, kill it. To lust after things that are not yours is bad. In my own
words, lust is desire or longing uncontrolled. We can appreciate things without
wanting it for our self. It’s okay for someone other than us to enjoy great
goodness.
Ecclesiastes 6: 9 “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you
don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things are meaningless-like chasing the
wind.”
Anything that lures us away from “living
in today” and in our reality is wrong. As long as we keep wanting another’s, we
don’t live; we remain unfulfilled at the end of each day, also losing that day’s
testimonies. Indeed, that day feels worse because our desire is for something other
than what we have. Whilst we dream about tomorrow focused on God who perfects our
tomorrows, we must live each day trusting God to perfect all that will make our
tomorrow what it should be. Desire is not in itself bad, but it can be dangerous
if not contained. It can make one long for what belongs to another so
desperately that they will do everything possible to get it; and very unmindful
of how it impacts on the owner and/or that it may ultimately impact on them negatively.
Desire can indeed, make us thieves. It has led to adultery, fornication, armed
robbery, and several other ills including even divorce. Interestingly, after
wrecking homes to satisfy longings, many have found that “the grass was not
really green” after all. Unfortunately, many believers have become tools in
satan’s hands because of this strong desire to own “the greener grass that’s not
theirs.” We must limit our desire to only what God allows and then live daily, choosing
to enjoy God’s goodness despite even bad experiences we may have had in that
day.
James 1: 14 “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and
drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is
allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”
Proverbs 27: 20 “Just as death and destruction are never satisfied, so
human desire is never satisfied.”
The only way to enjoy every day
is to know that despite what one sees, reality is the word of God. We must look
beyond what pretends to be reality to true reality. Instead of seeing and
longing for other people’s “greener pasture”, we must see and long for what God
says about us which is written and hidden in Him; heading in the same direction
with a deep conviction that we won’t attain without Him. As long as our eyes
and/or focus are in the right place, it will be hard to fall into things like
envy, jealousy and such evil likes. Unfortunately, we often lose sight of God,
replacing Him with what He has given someone else and then letting the desire
for it consume us instead of our desire for God. Whilst it is true that God is
not seen because He is Spirit, He is revealed in His word. It is sad that we
don’t mediate on The Word of God enough to trust Him. We fear to trust The Word
but we forget that it is through that same Word that we are saved. If the word
of God is powerful enough to birth that change that salvation brings in any man,
then the same word must have power to do every other thing He says He will do.
Salvation re-creates a man which no one has achieved. This word is more than
mere letters; He lives. God has chosen to do all things including creation
through Him and only through Him can our desire be controlled.
James 1: 18 “He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true Word.
And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.”
Philippians 2: 13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and
the power to do what pleases Him.”
No comments:
Post a Comment