I think we all from time to time look over at our neighbor's lawn and think that their grass is greener than ours.

Yet, most of the time, I find that if I take the time to walk over and inspect their lawn, it's much like mine....they deal with crabgrass and even grubs like I do.

It's so easy to think that other situations are better...other families...other marriages...other churches.

For instance, in the midst of marital disagreement, it is not uncommon for a spouse to wonder if there isn't somebody with whom they would be more compatible.

Suleyman Guresci, of Izmir, Turkey divorced his wife of 21 years after a bitter six-year court battle. In an effort to find the ideal woman, Guresci turned to a computer dating service--the kind that evaluates your written profile and suggests matches for you.

Ironically, from a list of 2000 prospective brides, the computer selected his former wife, who (unbeknownst to Guresci) had signed up for the same service.

Guresci's response? He decided to remarry his wife just nine months after their divorce. He said, "I did not know that my ex-wife had been the ideal counterpart for a marriage. I decided to give it another try by being more tolerant toward her."

Your ideal mate might just be the one you've already married.

The principle Guresci learned also applies to a number of other areas in ourlives: our church, our ministry, our job, and so on.

C. Peter Wagner points out that one common characteristic of effective pastors is a commitment to stay: They're not looking for greener pastures.

Most of us understand the permanent nature of marriage/family relationships; we understand the need to approach problems at home with the attitude of "How can we make this work?" But we forget how important this attitude is the other areas. When trouble rears its head, instead of focusing on how to make things work, we often fantasize of finding a better place to be.

Just as God gave you your spouse and family, he placed you in your current circumstances. Maybe your job or your ministry is more than a little challenging, and maybe you'd like to move on. Think before you do. Think before you even allow yourself to daydream about it.

More than likely, God's plan is for you to work through this situation. Even if ultimately he calls you elsewhere, he wants you to resolve this issue before you go.

Just like Guresci learned about his marriage, your ideal situation might be the one you're in right now. So keep Paul's words in mind this week:

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58)