Today as I joined my fellow man in a jolly round of traffic caroling, I was quite distressed to realize that some were apparently unaware of the proper merging etiquette. If you know that you are going to have to enter the freeway in a mile or two, go ahead and get in the proper lane. It never hurts to be prepared. As I sat waiting patiently in the proper lane, I noticed other vehicles speeding past and merging into the line many cars ahead. How rude. Here we all are, waiting in line like proper Southern folk, and these others just rush ahead, bust in line and speed off.
As I sat in my car today, becoming increasingly frustrated about the rudeness of my fellow drivers, God gently brought the parable of the vineyard workers from Matthew chapter 20 to mind. I once heard that the focus of this parable is not our sense of injustice, but of God's sense of compassion.
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 so generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
-Matthew 20:13-16 NIV
It's not really about traffic. It's not about pay raises or project assignments. It's not about who sings too loud in church. It's about my attitude of entitlement. God has been placing me in situations lately that really reveal my inflated sense of worth. Oh, how selfish I am! If I spent half as much time focusing on pleasing God as I did in looking at the flaws in others, I would be a world away from where I sit today.
God has been ministering to my heart about my selfishness lately. So often I view life from my limited human perspective. When I witness what I perceive to be injustice, I balk and wonder why God hasn't stepped in and set someone straight. You know, truly, God rarely makes sense to me. He is one anomaly after another. As I grow in my walk with Him, He is so sweet to teach me to see things from His perspective. And the things I don't understand are in His control anyway, so why should I worry? Sometimes I think George Costanza was on to something. Whatever your instinct tells you to do, do the opposite. So often my flesh-infested knee-jerk reaction to a situation is the direct opposite of what God would have me do. My innate judgmental nature and pompous sense of selfishness tell me that I would be a doormat if I let everyone cut in line. But I think God would see it as a ministry opportunity.
I am so glad that God's idea of justice is NOT the same as mine. I would never survive if I had to stand up under the expectations I place on others. I thank God that He cares enough about me to reveal these gaping rifts in my character. Refinement is never a fun process. But just knowing that God hasn't given up on me yet makes the growing pains all worthwhile!
1 comment:
LOL at the George Costanza "opposite" reference! You're right, how thankful we should be that God's justice system is not like ours. He is so tender and merciful, praise be to Him!
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