Hearing Godنموونە

“The Myth of Greener Grasses”

One way God speaks to His children is through circumstances. Along with so many other means of communication, the events, opportunities, and setbacks of our lives are powerful ways we can learn about God’s character and desires for us. These circumstances can be as simple as a “random” meeting with a friend. They can be as complex as the talents He gives us. All of them matter, but we need to embrace them with a healthy perspective.

You see, many of us become fixated on what we think we need rather than allowing the possibility of a larger perspective than our own. Sometimes we become so committed to trying to make everything work out our way that we miss the very way that God has already spoken and shaped us for maturity through our unique circumstances. We believe, all too easily, the myth that the grasses are greener in pastures where the Shepherd hasn’t led us.

We must yield to the wisdom processes of life when we’re trying to discern God’s voice in circumstance. Life is developmental; it requires patience. We lack patience and we lack wisdom. Read James 1. It’s as if James is writing to a bunch of people who are trying to discern God’s voice, just like we are.

As we are matured by the seasons of life—as we yield patiently to these processes of working seemingly dead-end jobs, of collaborating with highly irritating people, of taking discipline on the chin for being tardy, of not cheating the system or others but working our way up through the ranks honestly and ethically—we begin to discover what we’re made of. We start to settle into our skin, so to speak. We don’t get panicky in the seasons but rather learn the God-ordained rhythms of life. 

Finally, as patience has had its perfect work, and we allow the seasons to have their perfect work, opportunities begin to present themselves, and the wisdom (and self-awareness) we’ve accumulated through the seasons helps us navigate life. The grass starts looking pretty green right under our feet.

Remember: God speaks to us through the big and little circumstances of our lives. Whether we can hear Him depends on how willing we are to embrace where we are right now.