The grass is always greener
Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered,… So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan. -Genesis 13:10-11
Some times trials aren’t bad things happening to you. Some times trials sneak up on us as perceived blessings and only bite us later on down the road. We look back and realize “Man that was a dumb decision”.
For years I prayed for the “perfect” job. Everyone has their own idea of the perfect situation. Mine was this: 1. It payed the bills, 2. The people were nice and not overbearing, 3. They were understanding when you were sick and not second guessing you every time you called in, 4. It was close to home. That’s in no particular order and I earnestly prayed, Lord if you can make it happen please do. Put me in Your perfect situation. If money is tight, so be it, as long as it’s where I’m supposed to be.
While in a very down place I accepted a job for more money. The pay was great. The people…well they were awful. Overbearing, “tight”, and it was very far from home. But the money was great! It lasted 3 months.
These trials are difficult for a number of reasons. First, if we are stale or not directly relying on God for our decision making it is very easy for Satan to take these and say “Look what God’s giving you!”. He’ll make you excited about the prospects of more money, or a better title. Whatever vise he can use against you he will. Like my job experience, I thought more money could fix things, only to find out 3 months later I failed the test. Looking back, if we review our motives we see that the decision was far easier than we made it out to be. You wanted a new car, you were frustrated with your hours, you wanted to pay off a loan. All “me” things. And if we had seen those desires early we wouldn’t have accepted the trade off.
My current job pays the bills. My bosses are relaxed. I live only 25min away. I have a great medical plan. And I have more vacation time than I can shake a stick at. So what’s the problem? My flesh wants more. I’m barely scraping by and could use the extra money to pay medical bills and the heat.
I’ve always known that God will provide(Phillipians 4:19) and it is no more evident than my current situation. So, when a new job offer came in at 1.5x my current salary I praised God. Thank you for the opportunity! As the interviews went on and the dollar signs raced through my head I dreamed of a new car, paying off my bills, maybe fixing the house a little, I could use a new pair of shoes, my parents need some help, wow, what I could do for others with the extra money. Not being stressed every month over food or bills would be great.
As I was talking to my boss telling her I was thinking of leaving she said something that really struck me. “I understand you need to do what’s best for you.”
Sadness. I thought blessings were coming. Turns out it was a wolf in sheeps clothing, preying on my selfish desires to live comfortably. As I turned my focus back to my current job the trial got harder. A second offer, extra bills this month, and the conversation that there is no chance of a quick move up the corporate ladder at my current position.
Secondly, the repercussions aren’t always evident immediately. The grass always seems greener on the other side. Abraham was following God. He trusted in God’s promise and followed his footsteps. Lot struggled and only saw greener pastures. He took what was pleasing to his eyes and in turn brought destruction on his family(Genesis 19). He lived well for quite a while before digging himself into a hole only angels could get him out of.
When I look at where I am I realize God has me here for a reason and wants me to stay. Satan is doing everything he can to get me to move on. Two years ago I would have made the mistake and taken the job without thought. I wasn’t in a good place or listening to God’s voice. I don’t need to do what’s best for me. That’s a worldly thing. I need to do what God asks of me and in the end He will bless me for it all the more.
I have no idea what’s best for me. I sure think I do but only God knows what’s best for me and it apparently isn’t to live the life of luxury right now. I couldn’t be happier.
Salt Water Taffy
…but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. – John 4:14
I love salt water taffy! One minute you’re chewing on cinnamon, the next mint chocolate. Any flavor you can imagine probably exists as a piece of salt water taffy somewhere. One of the best and worst parts is how chewy and sticky it really is. It gets stuck so far down in your teeth you taste it for hours.
As I grabbed a piece from the candy jar at the pet store the other day it got me thinking; I’m just like this little piece of taffy. In the scope of things this little piece of taffy is insignificant. If it fell on the ground, or got dirty and was unusable we’d throw it away. We get dirty every day with sins we don’t even realize we commit. Yet Jesus comes along and cleans us off, gives us a purpose, and sets us on our way. In Psalm 51:7 David cries out to God for the sins he has committed. “wash me, and I will be whiter than snow”.
If you’ve ever left a piece of taffy out for an extended period of time you know what happens. As the air gets to it, it dries out and becomes brittle. If you dropped it, or smashed it with something it would splinter into hundreds of tiny pieces. In John 4 as Jesus is sitting by this well He offers a sinner living water. The dirtiest of dirty people, she comes to the well in the heat of the day when no one is around. She’s had 5 husbands, and lives with another man, yet living water is hers if she asks.
Take that little piece of dried out taffy and pour water on it. Take your hands and start pushing on it. Roll it over in the water as your pry and bend and mold it. The water seeps back in and slowly but surely that little piece of brittle taffy takes on new life. It’s moldable again.
When I was little my dad used to take me to a baseball card store that sold old packs of baseball cards. Packs from the 70’s and 80’s that never got opened. I remember going in and buying a pack that came with a piece of gum. I crunched down on it and it nearly disintegrated in my mouth. To be honest, it was disgusting. I kept chewing and before long I had a usable piece of gum.
I struggle sometimes with being stale. I’m saved, I pray every day, I rely on God to guide me in everything and yet sometimes I get so busy or so down that I forget to read the Word. When I get stale and a trial comes I’m libel to be smashed to pieces. I’m dried up and ripe for the pickin. When we read the Word the living water is poured over us and it allows God to mold us again. We are bendable and trials may stretch us thin but we won’t break.
To date there are an estimated 6 billion people on earth. To this world you and I are insignificant. We’re like little pieces of taffy. If we get dirty we just get tossed away. But to Jesus we are precious, each and every one. And if we get stale He’s there when we ask, to pour out living water and make you the salt of the earth. He’ll make you pliable and it may not be comfortable at first but the blessings you receive will be much greater as He makes you into a usable vessel.
