Loving Where You Are At

If you don’t love where you are at, you won’t love where you are going.

How many times have you told yourself, "If only I..." (You can fill in the next part with anything that's relevant to your life.) If only I had another job, if only I had my own business, if only I was married, if only I was single, if only I didn’t have this sin issue, if only I didn’t waste my time during the day, if only I didn’t have health issues. The list goes on and on.

Now wait a second, I’m confused, backup? Aren’t some 'if only’s' good? For instance, wanting another job, or wanting to get married? Sure, wanting to get a better job to grow yourself is great, and fulfilling the desire of being married to your death due you part is movie perfect, but not when 'If only' is on your mind or coming out of your mouth.  

Let me explain this a little, we have all heard the grass is always greener on the other side, but have you learned that the grass is not always greener on the other side? Im guessing if you still have if only’s, you got some sweet time of growing to do. If only generally comes to mind when you feel like your life is lacking something, or you're sad and you think happiness would come if you have something in your life that you don’t have now. With this kind of thinking you're training yourself that you will always need something else in order to be satisfied and your life right now isn’t good enough.

Then, when you get what you want you are temporarily happy, but when emotions of anger, sadness, and fear rush your head, your 'if only’s' start coming because of what you have told yourself in the past will fix your emotions. Here is an awesome example: Let's say I’m a bachelor, and I’m having a day or maybe even week of feeling lonely, "if only I was married or in a relationship." I’m training myself to deal with emotions by saying they will be fixed if I get something else in my life which really communicates I can’t stop feeling lonely with where I am at in life because I don’t have what I need. So therefore it’s impossible to stop feeling certain emotions because you have tricked yourself into thinking you need something you can’t have now to make yourself happy. If we fast forward to being married, if I feel lonely again (which will happen because it’s an emotion) I now pick another 'if only' because that’s how I have taught myself to deal with loneliness. The truth is that dealing with these kinds of emotions with 'if only’s' does not deal with the emotion at all. It simply teaches you that your life is lacking and your current life isn't good enough to live joyfully.

Really, the truth is the grass is always greener on your side, because your side is the only side that matters.

Your reality is that you have everything you need in life to be happy. David a man after God’s heart had some great wisdom, look what he says in Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing”. You lack nothing! If only we knew that we have everything. We have Jesus and He is everything we could ever desire. There is no lack when in love with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Now what is your job? Catch yourself when your mind starts to list 'if only’s.'

2 Corinthians 10:5 says “Cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”.

Recognize the thought patterns that are telling you that you need something else in order to deal with emotions of anger, sadness, disappointment... etc. As you start to change the way you think, Holy Spirit will show you the truth of your life. John 8:32 states “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. Changing your thought life might not always be an easy task. Especially for us old dogs who have had 'if only' training for years and years. But, just how you created an 'if only' pattern, you can create a new way of thinking with God.


The Bible is full of examples of being happy/joyful, and loving life regardless or your situation or current circumstances. 1st Peter 1:8 says “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory”. We have joy inexpressible, wow let’s live this thing. The only 'if only' I know is if you don't know Jesus. Truth sets you free and you can’t know truth if you don’t know the Jesus. Pretty simple huh? Let’s start to walk out joy and learn together that regardless of your circumstances in life you have what it takes and joy is our weapon of warfare.

Author: Caleb Fiess

Caleb was a drug addict for most of his youth and young adult life until he asked God to become alive to him while he was close to ending his life in 2009. Sure enough, God became alive to him and shortly after his intense hunger for God lead him to Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry where he completed 3 years of schooling. At Bethel he lead Mission trips, Healing rooms, Friday Night Strikes, and Treasure Hunts. He has a passion for bringing the lost into encounters with the living God, pursuing Gods heart and kingdom through worship, reading the word, and prayer. His heart is to activate the church in evangelism and their God given gifts so they can bring heaven to earth where ever they are. He loves bringing the church into their destiny with the presence and power of God so they can truly know Him.