"Boundaries"
Leading up to The 10 Commandments
Part 5
Q: Are you a “Grass is greener” kind of a person?
“The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.”
“Even if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
it still needs to be mowed.”
“Even if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
what is that to you?”
“If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
maybe they’re giving it better care.”
If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
you can bet their water bill is higher.
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
-Luke 12:48
If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
why do you think your neighbors put the fence up?
“The grass is greener where you water it.”
Who ever said that greener grass is better?
Genesis 13
“So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.” 5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together… 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” 10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan… The two men parted company… 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” 14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around… 15 All the land that you see I will give… 16 if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.
-Genesis 13:1-16
Lot becomes a problem
“The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom. 13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit… 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them…” 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.”
- Genesis 14:11-16
Then Ishmael is born when Abe was 86
Later when Abe was 99 and is visited by three Angels.
Two of the angels went to Sodom and met with Lot to save him.
Put Boundaries on sinful envy.
“Where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
-James 3:16
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness... 8 in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!”
-Philippians 2:3-8
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”
-1 Corinthians 10:23,24
“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
-John 3:16
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom... 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”
–James 3:13,16
“If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence,
It may be artificial.”
Water your grass.
Don’t sinfully envy someone else’s grass.
Thank God for your grass.
Be content with God’s help.
It will keep you out of a lot of trouble.