"Don't Lose Your Focus"

 

DISCUSSION      

Why is it that the grass always looks greener on the other side? Don’t we always seem to think everyone else has it so much better than we do? Take for instance the nation of Israel,  they had been surviving fine under the leadership of the judges. It wasn’t perfect, but as long as there were godly judges, the people seemed to follow in their footsteps. When there wasn’t good leadership, the people swayed. It was getting to the end of Samuel’s reign as judge and the people began to get antsy. The elders of the nation asked Samuel to appoint for them a king who could rule over them; a king so they would be like all the surrounding nations around them. Although it sounds a little childish, this is the way it probably sounded to Samuel “come on Samuel, every body’s doing it?” Of course, this displeased Samuel, but nevertheless he took the request to God. God appeases them but wants Samuel to warn them of all of the problems that go along with having a king (these warnings are found in 1 Samuel 8. 10-22). Of course God was right and the people had the very problems He warned them about. Why couldn’t the children of Israel see that? We always want what others have; we just don’t want to see their problems. Nevertheless, we want the bigger cars and the bigger houses, but we can see the strain it puts on our finances. We want the younger more attractive mate, but the upkeep on keeping them looking so attractive is killing you. We may have wanted the deserved promotion, but the pressures and the stress may send you to an early grave. Sometimes when we go for what is on the other side, we forget just how great things were before. Focus on where you are, not where you’re not! Focus on what you have and not what you don’t! As the old saying goes, “new toys, new problems.”

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