day 359: A Bargain

As I wrote a few days ago, after hearing a devotional delivered by a pastor, it got me thinking about what it is that we as workers expect from our employers and then how does that relate to how we expect and treat God. The context of this comes from Matthew Chapter 20 where the day workers made a contract with the owner of an estate to pay them their daily wage for the work they were going to do from 6AM until 6PM. The owner ends up paying the same amount to the workers who had made an agreement for what they would be paid for the day, which was the standard daily wage, as he does the person who just came on and worked for him for one hour, which would be an enormous amount of money for one hour's work. The men who had worked all day were upset and didn't understand how someone could get paid the same as them for such a little amount of time, so in their minds they were owed more. But, the message in this parable is that the all-day workers got exactly for what they bargained and agreed it was all of the other workers who didn't haggle and feel the need to bargain, but who were just pleased to be able to work who got so much more. It's an interesting parallel to employees who are on contract, whether it be on a union's collective bargaining agreement or an athlete or celebrity. They get paid for what they bargained and others may get a lot more, and then the employee on contract somehow feels like they got robbed. However, again, they got what they bargained for and it was not only fair but contractual. How often do we find ourselves in a bargaining position and we get exactly what we bargained for and no more? I have to challenge myself on this subject as well as I too many times take to God and others what I know is best for me. Who else can know better than me after all? Today as you contemplate the areas of your life where you know best and you find yourself demanding and bargaining on others and/or God, then I would offer that it is time to sit back and let God do His thing and trust that what looks like a bargain may be, like the worker that got a full day's pay for one of hour of work, a much better deal to be had without the bargain.

Reference: Matthew 20:2 (New Living Testament)