The Thing about Greener Grass
The Thing about Greener Grass
Lot looked out across Canaan’s prime real estate, the beautiful Jordan Valley.
Not a bad place to put down roots, he probably thought. Rich, well-watered grazing land. Fertile fields. Good, dark soil. And grass as green as a valley full of emeralds.
The tribes of Lot and his kindly uncle Abram were having problems living in the same neighborhood, so the older man graciously told his nephew to set up camp wherever he liked.
Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me … Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left” (Genesis 13:8-9).
Scripture tells us that the young man lifted his gaze across the green river valley and “chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east” (v. 11).
Yes, the grass was green, and the Jordan sparkled in the sunlight. But little did Lot know there were some built-in problems to that valley. Strange people with weird customs. Cities full of crime and violence and sexual perversions. Deadly thorns and stinging nettles nestled on the wide, green bosom of the plain. The hidden price tag of Lot’s hot real estate deal—the prime land just outside Sodom and Gomorrah—bore the names of his own family.
When you think about it, you and I aren’t all that different from our friend Lot, are we? Like you, I tend to choose the easy course of action, the smooth path of progress. If it looks good and there are no hitches, then this must be the way God wants me to go. Then, if I don’t run into any hardships or tough problems, I make the judgment that I’m experiencing God’s blessing.
But, oh, when the going gets tough—when the thorns and thistles rear their pointy heads to block my path—I wonder just what God has in mind. And sure enough, I start looking back and second-guessing myself. I start dwelling on all the “could-have-beens” and “might-have-beens.”
My mistake is in thinking the grass is greener simply because the path looks so easy. The fact is, there is no greener grass elsewhere. Those first impressions of the “easier path” simply don’t tell the whole story. If we’re following the course God has placed before us, we will have thorns and thistles wherever we go. Oh sure, there will be plenty of beautiful green vistas and sunlit fields along the way to make our journey pleasant. But Scripture makes it clear that we can also count on our fair share of problems and pain. God will make certain of that, so that we’ll make certain we stick close to Him every step of the way.
The only greener grass I know of is in heaven. It’s a place where there are no thorns or thistles, problems or heartaches. A place of real peace and lasting joy with our Savior, our friends and family, and the saints of all ages.
So if you’re tempted to think life ought to be better someplace else—maybe with a new set of circumstances, a new job, a new city, or a new mate—believe me, the grass you’re imagining isn’t always that green. Only in heaven will life be as good and great as you’d like it to be.
Don’t let the devil tell you otherwise. If his grass looks greener, it’s only because it’s artificial turf.