The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and maybe more abundant….
This saying is very true of stock both sheep and cattle. Our cattle and sheep are always poking their heads through the fences to get to the greener and more abundant pasture on the other side.
We practice rotational grazing, and my husband has already locked up a paddock to cut for hay. Well, we have a great time when we move the stock through this paddock to the next one as they want to stay where the grass is abundant. It can take quite a while to get them moved with a lot of arm waving and noise.
This saying is very true for us as well. We seem to be always looking over the proverbial fence at our neighbours and friends and comparing ourselves to them. Their lives always seem to look more greener and abundant.
Now I must say that I am very content with my lot in life. I love being home and teaching our children. I love where we live and I am blessed with the fact that my husband can work shorter hours to be with us a bit more. We don’t have an abundance of money but we manage to pay our bills and we are happy. This contentment has been a long time coming with lots of life lessons to get there.
This said I still seem to look over the fence at what others have. It seems my contentment is not enough to stop the looking.
I learnt a valuable lesson the other day. I caught up with a friend that I hadn’t seen for quite a while. She shared how her life was going and what had been happening for them. I was quite taken back with what she told me. I thought that their life seem to be quite easy going, finances being abundant, but I was wrong. I realised that by looking over my fence at their life and comparing us I had missed out on the reality of what was happening.
On their side of the fence they were struggling to make ends meet and my friend was now working full time away from her home and family.
I need to not judge what colour the grass is or how thick and lush it seems to be because sometimes it seems better when it really isn’t.
I don’t always need to look at others and think what they have is better than what we have. I need to turn my eyes to Jesus and crave Him in my life over anything else.
It says in Hebrews 13:5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”.
It is stating here to keep our lives free from the love of money and be content with what we have. To me this also means to stop thinking that others have more than us or are better than us and be content with what God has given us. It means to not think we need to earn more money so that we can buy more things to keep us happy. Things do not bring the happiness and joy that a loving Father can bring.
I really smiled when I saw this picture and thought this is so true as well. Let us stop looking and start watering our own lives with the Word of God and watch it start greening and thickening up.
We don’t need stuff and money to keep us happy? We don’t need to compare or strive to be like others. God says He will never leave us nor forsake us, that is all we need.
This post is linked here…