Sand

I went for a long Wyoming ride this weekend and a couple of horses happened to catch my attention. They were standing at a gate whinnying and raising their heads up and down, and impatiently trying to figure out how to open the gate and get to the pasture on the other side. The odd thing about it was the pasture they were already in looked identical to the one that they seemed to want to go to. It had the same lush green grass and even the same pure crystal clear stream tumbling and cascading over rocks, and collecting in occasional smooth pools throughout both pastures. These nags did not seem to be enjoying the beautiful bluebird sunny day; or their lush surroundings, and instead seemed almost miserable in their determined quest to find a way to enter the adjoining pasture.

I thought how similar this is to mankind. Often we stand and gaze at the grass just on the other side of the fence, longing to be over there, never realizing for a moment that the grass is not any greener over there than where we stand. The Bible is clear that we should not covet what others have and/or commit adultery. In fact God included these two sins in the Ten Commandments singling them out for all of mankind for all time on this earth as being an extremely dangerous path, which means that violating them leads to serious consequence Always! We should stay in our own pasture and appreciate what we have.

Alas just like those Wyoming horses it seems that far too often we long for what we cannot have. I have many friends and acquaintances whose marriages ended due to similar circumstance. They became obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses. If the Joneses got a shiny new car, they simply “had” to have a shiny new car too, or a pool table, riding lawn mower, ski trip to Aspen, swimming pool, or new furniture; (sometimes the lust included Mr. or Mrs. Jones themselves). It reached the point that they did not just covet, but burned with lust and envy. All too often they found a way to hop over the fence and spend themselves into financial ruin, (and too often they hopped right into bed with the neighbor or co-worker), both of which led to disaster; usually divorce, financial ruin, and of course moral degeneration. Had they shown some restraint and controlled their covetous burning lust and envy, they could have avoided a moral and financial collapse and dilemma.

King Solomon was the richest and wisest man the world will ever know and he wrote that the quest for these things is in the end as fruitless as watching sand go through your fingers. He should know he had a thousand wives and every material possession known to mankind at the time. In the end as an old man he lamented the fact that after all was said and done, he had discovered none of it mattered. He finally realized that our relationship with God is all that really matters in life.

I have counseled many people through the years and related to them these verses about coveting and adultery. I would be remiss however; if I did not point out something that all too often is not obvious to those who are married to someone with a wandering eye and are feeling sorry for themselves and involved with attending a little pity party where the only attendee is them. Sometimes we should consider that just maybe, we might have to bear some responsibility too. I have known husbands who work hard all day long facing difficult and stressful jobs. They are surrounded all day long with little office beauties dressed fit to kill who are as nice as they can be and fun to be around. The husband goes home to a house that is a wreck, no food on the table, and their spouse has not even bothered to get dressed for the day much less put on makeup and looks like a slob. Instead of smiling and inquiring as to how the husband’s day went, she immediately starts raising Cain about everything; or of course the converse where the wife faces similar circumstance.

The point is that we should try to keep the grass looking green and the water cool and pure. We should at least make an attempt to look as good as we can, not gorge all day and pork up, maintain a good sense of humor, be fun to be around, and we should be considerate of our spouse’s situation. Most importantly we should be content. This is not to say we should not have goals that include obtaining what we currently do not have within God’s will for our lives, but that we do not set goals based upon coveting or lusting for what our neighbors have. Listen below to what Solomon had to say after reviewing the entire matter throughout Ecclesiastes, and I urge you in fact to read the entire book. (It is small.)

Eccl. 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the
whole matter;
Fear God and keep His
commandments.
For this is man’s all.
For God will bring every work
into judgment.
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.