Generosity

I recently finished a study of Matthew. It has been so long since I have read Matthew and the other Gospels. Reading about Christ's life left me challenged and encouraged. The other day I was sitting in Starbuck, and reading and God popped this thought into my head.(I know Starbucks is evil, lol but there are no independent coffee shops where I live) The thought was about people who have accepted Christ right before they pass away. A person on his or her death bed, accepts Christ as his or hers Lord and Savior, repents from their sin and dies soon after. If he accepted Christ then he is now our brother in Christ. Praise God, he is now in heaven.

I have the feeling that people do not think this is fair. I think people who have accepted Christ at a young age feel that they deserve more because they have lived a life serving God.

Jesus gives us a parable to correct this feeling of entitlement. Matthew 20 "The Workers in the Vineyard" Basically the farmer comes to workers at different times and hires them to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day when it is time to pay wages the last people were given their payment first. The workers received a full days pay. The workers who worked all day came to the farmer expected to get paid more than a days pay, they thought they deserved more, if the workers who only worked a few hours received a full days wages.

The farmer asks them, “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one 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?’ Matt 20: 13-15

So the question to us is, "How is God being unfair to us?" He's not. He has given us all we need. And no matter if we are called early in live or minutes before our death, the prize is the same. No matter when people accept Christ we need to celebrate that one more person will be with us in heaven. Praise God!!

It is not unfair that people can live their life without knowing God until the very end. I think we have it pretty awesome. We have the hope of Christ. We have a common bond that cannot be broken no matter who tries to separate us. We have the honor of living our lives as Christ has called us to live. Yes, that means we have suffering, pain and heartache. But, we have the hope that the trials of this life are only temporary and His joy comes in the morning. Praise God.

Praise God when there is a new believer, no matter what point of their life he accepts. There is one more of God's children in heaven. One down and a few billion to go...