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TEND TO YOUR OWN GARDEN AND REAP THE FRUIT THAT IS SWEETEST IN YOUR LIFE

It's easy to lament what we don't have. Why not appreciate what we do? If we could look back on our lives with the eyes of God, we would see that no one has been given more than we have. At times, it just seems that way. We make it seem that we have fallen short. But often it's just that we're listening to the world instead of God and what we want is not meant for us.

Notes the wife of an evangelist, in a post called "What Are You Tending To?":

"At some point in life, most people take a look at their circumstances and think, 'If only… If only I had a better job…If only my spouse were like so-and-so…If only I had gone to college…If only I had the opportunities so-and-so had.'

"We look around and think everyone else has it better than we do. But I believe comparison is just a trap of the enemy to get us off course and keep us from God’s best. Comparison is the thief of joy; and if the enemy can steal our joy, he has stolen our source of strength.

"There’s an old saying, 'The grass is always greener on the other side.' But, I don’t believe the grass is greener on the other side; I believe the grass is greener where you water it.

"In other words, we have to tend to the things that are important to us if we want to see those areas of our lives blossom and grow. If you want better relationships, you have to invest in the people around you. If you want a better job, you have to invest in your skill set to qualify for that job and then go after it. We all have the capacity to come up higher. God has given us all tremendous opportunities, but if we are focused on what everyone else has, we’ll miss out on what God has especially for us!

"Today, instead of comparing, decide to cultivate the dry, fallow areas of your life. Begin to water and invest in the areas in which you want to see change. Let God give you a new vision for your life. As you take responsibility and tend to what the Lord has given you, I believe He’ll pour out His blessing. I believe you’ll see new life and flourish beyond anything you could have ever hoped or dreamed. "He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit…' (Proverbs 27:18)."