In Search of Fairness
One of my all time favorite parables in the Gospels is found in Matthew chapter 20. In it's simplest form, the story basically runs as such: There is a man who owns a vineyard, which is in need of labor. He goes out to find workers in the early morning. Some people agree to work, and after settling on a wage they both agree on, they head into the fields. The work continues to be in need of laborers, so the owner goes out multiple times during the day to hire more people. At the end of the day, he pays everyone. The morning workers began to become agitated because those who worked less time still got the same monetary compensation.
I always remember thinking, "Why are they so up-tight about this? It's the owner's money, he can do whatever he wanted to with it." Now that I'm out in the "real world," I'm beginning to sympathize more and more with the morning workers.
We try to define "fairness" quite a lot in this society nowadays. We are told to treat everyone equally, everyone should get the same portion, and we all just need to agree and get along. What is the definition of fairness?
The dictionary has over twenty entries in attempt to define the word "fair." What is basically boils down to is "Just and honest, consistent with rules and logic." Yet we tend to define it as "everyone gets the same thing." How boring. Ho - hum. We all get the same thing.
NO! God's fairness in your life doesn't mean that you get the same thing as your coworkers, classmates, siblings or best friends. Do you not know that you were created as a beautifully unique child of God? Do you know that every person that has ever walked or will walk this earth does so because they were loved into existence by God? That the only thing that keeps your blood coursing through your veins and air rushing through your lungs is because God. Loves. You.
Fairness doesn't mean everyone gets
the same cookie-cutter treatment.
Amazingly, love is not simply one of God's characteristics. He's not tall, dark, handsome and loving. His very essence is love. Due to this, every one of His children is surrounded by love. Yet because of their unique traits (meaning we all aren't robotic clones of each other - there is some beautiful differences existent in humans) we each are loved differently.
The point I'm trying to get at here is what is fair for one person is not fair for another person. God treats all of His children fairly, but the fact that we try to use "fairness" as a blanket statement goes against who God is. God is not a blanket statement kind of guy. He is a treat-you-as-uniquely-as-you-are kind of loving Dad.
Every child in your family is not loved the same way - yet they are all loved. The freedoms granted to some children are not given to each other. For instance: I leave every morning and go to class. I pull out the garage in a truck that I am given the privilege to drive (not the right). However, my little sister who is two years old does not get to drive the truck, as much as she wants to. Yet her truck driving privileges (or lack thereof) does not mean that our parents love me more and her less. Both of our driving statuses are "fair." Yet they are not "identical." Thus, fairness should not connote equality.
God has plan for your life that is as beautiful and amazing as you are. Its not going to look just like everyone else's plans, though. It's going to be incredible. Trust Him....even when it doesn't look like you think it should.
God bless,
Chloe M.