Unfortunately, even this basic and clear-cut exercise turns complicated in the Wyatt household. First, one of the boys will want to revise the original outcomes of the game. Paper has always covered rock, right? But, "No," one will argue, "If you're holding a piece of paper, and I throw a rock at you, who should win?" Then another (or two or all three) of them will start making up their own "weapons". They will throw in a gun, a knife, or a bomb (which I realize is sometimes used in the advanced versions of the game), and then sometimes we just have to ask, "What is that??...Oh, of course, a laser beam (or samurai sword or nunchucks, etc. etc.) Yes, I see that now. I should have known that's what it was." Shaking his head, my husband will say, "Boys, the name of the game is 'rock, paper, scissors', not 'rock, paper, knife'. That means you have to use rock, paper or scissors." They look up at their wise (yet flustered dad) and respond, "That's not fair."
Huh, really? How can that not be fair? But, I'm afraid some of us adults react this way too often as well. Oh, we may not be quite as verbal about it, but we think it all the same. We live in a world of "unfairness". Our natural (and sinful) tendency is to protect ourselves, so when we get the feeling we are being short-changed, we react in many different and usually destructive ways.
Now, be honest. Have you ever felt that God has been unfair to you? You think you got the short end of the stick or a bum deal in life. Maybe you look at others and think 'they are so blessed', while you feel overlooked or just plain invisible. Everything seems to work out for someone else, but you get passed by.
Jesus tells a parable in Matthew chapter 20 saying God's kingdom is like a landowner who went out to hire men to work in his vineyard. He promised to pay each of them a denarius (the currency of that time period). However, some of the workers were hired early in the day, others later, and yet others within just an hour of quitting time. The shocker of the story is that at the end of the day, the landowner pays them all the same! One denarius each, just as promised.
How do you feel about that? Is not our initial reaction, "That's not fair!"? Well, that is exactly what the workers said, but the landowner's answer is significant!
"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?"
Friends, when it is all said and done, remember that He is not unfair to the first by being generous to the last. Get your eyes off God's plan for everyone else and focus on His plan for you. In John 21:22, Jesus told Peter (speaking about John), "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." In the end, we want to hear Him say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant". Is it going to matter that He will say it to one who 'arrived' a little later? Oh, help us because we are often like these grumbling workers. Truth be known, if He were to be totally 'fair' to us, we would all deserve death and hell. So, thank God today for His grace and then just follow Him.
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I realize some of you may have much deeper pains with this issue and highly suggest that you read and pray over this article:
The Spirit of an Orphan vs. The Spirit of Sonship
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