August 24, 2012 Not Fair!

Not Fair Matthew 20:16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” DO YOU believe the lie that everyone is equal? I know. This is a radical statement. After all, for those who live in the United States, the Declaration of Independence begins with, “All men are created equal.” And we cling to this concept to be sure all people have equality in every aspect of life. We spend trillions of dollars desperately trying to keep everyone “equal”. But the biblical reality is that God forms people for very different purposes. For example, as Isaac blessed Jacob, Esau was left out of the blessing. As God anointed David as King of Israel, he left David’s brothers on the “farm”. As John was given a long life, his brother James was young martyr of the church. These brothers had different, certainly unequal lives; yet, they lived in the life God formed for them. Furthermore, Jesus chose only 12 disciples, and God chose only one nation. Some are chosen to salvation. Some are granted the blessing of long healthy living. The “unequal” list goes on. You are not created to have an equal life with everyone else on the planet. But the thing is equality with other humans exists in the context of God’s sovereign authority guiding your life through all circumstances. We all have equal access to the Father through prayer. We all have equal opportunities to read his Word and to live in his truth. God shapes our lives differently, and he calls you to submit to the life he forms for you. Do you feel life is unfair? Look instead to see your life as a gift from God to live in the plan and purpose he has for you. It’s True! You are to be content with the ways God forms you.