All of us periodically suffer from the myth of the greener grass. Haven’t there been times in your life when you thought things looked better on the other side of the fence? In your drive to succeed, haven’t you dreamed of a field with less hardship and more rewards? Maybe in the face of some of your marital struggles you think life would be better if you had a different wife. Perhaps there have been occasions when you’ve climbed over a fence without looking up and getting God’s approval.
If you’ve ever longed for a better world, then you’ll have no trouble understanding why the man Jesus delivered from a host of demons wanted to follow him. For years the man had been bound with chains and kept under guard. Yet, the power of the demons enabled him to snap the chains and flee to underground tombs (Luke 8:26-39).
After Jesus healed the man, he begged to travel with Jesus. No wonder! What better way to show his appreciation than to be a part of Jesus’ support team? And what a powerful impact his story would have on others who were investigating the claims of Jesus!
But God had a different plan. Jesus told him to go home. Obviously from that man’s perspective he was missing out on the action. He may very well have felt that Jesus had just sent him away with a poor Plan B. Yet Luke tells us that this man who had been given a new lease on life “went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39).
Like that liberated man, you too may want to enter a new field that looks greener. But could it be that God has you where he wants you? Maybe the issue isn’t finding a greener field, but finding contentment where you are. How? Paul said true joy and lasting contentment comes from one source: Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:12-13).
I am retired. My last year of work was an extra one. When asking the question of retire or not, I asked the Lord to have my boss come in and tell me what he needed from me by the next Friday. On Friday he was in my office asking me to work another year. At that point it became a special calling from God. I enjoyed the best year I had ever had. Things flowed and God blessed.