I love playing games! I love board games or card games and I will play just about any game that people want to play with me. I like Settlers of Catan, Risk, Monopoly and I like Uno, Skip-Bo and Rook. My husband doesn’t really like to play games, he sees playing games as an excuse to socialize, eat some good food and have a nice evening with friends. I think that’s because I always beat him.
I would say that between my husband and myself, I win probably 90-95% of the time. Seriously! I have actually tried to throw the game so that he wins – in fact, I have even dealt him the good cards and I keep the bad cards and he still manages to find some way to lose. Is this because I’m a great strategist??? Ok, when we play some games, I actually am a good strategist – but that’s because I care and I try really hard. But what about those games that really only have to do with luck??? Why do I seem to win all those games? 
One time we tried a little game to see if he actually loses all the time. We took twelve dice and we rolled them all at the same time – hoping to get all sixes. Each time we rolled we set aside the sixes and then kept rerolling the other dice. We rolled and rolled to see how many rolls it would take until all the dice had sixes on them. I consistently could get all sixes within 8-10 rolls and he needed more like 18-20 rolls. It didn’t seem to make sense. I guess I just have better luck then him…
Sometimes it feels like that in life. It may seem like some people have all the luck and others are destined to lose. It feels like God has dealt some people a perfect hand in life and other people land up with junk hands over and over again. Some people seem to have a perfect life, no problems, a happy marriage and great kids and other people struggle constantly with their jobs, with their families and friends, with finances and the list goes on. It almost seems like God is playing favourites. Does God play favourites or are our perceptions wrong? Take a minute and read Matthew 25:14-30 and let’s find out!
In this parable, the Master distributes talents to his servants. The first servant gets five talents, the second servant gets two talents and the third servant gets one talent (verse 15). How did the Master distribute the talents? Did he distribute them evenly? No, he did not. He allotted the talents– according to their ability (verse 15). Was the distribution of the talents equal? NO! Was it fair? YES!
We have a wrong view of what’s fair. Notice that verse 21 and verse 23 are the same. Both the servants who doubled their talents got the same reward. The Master gave each servant the same opportunity to double their talent and he offered the same reward. It’s the same with us. We don’t all have the same gifts, abilities, finances, or chances in life but we all have the same opportunity to use what has been given to us. We also all have the same opportunity to receive rewards, even if they don't come until eternity. Even though one servant made 5 talents and the other 2 talents, they both doubled what they had and received the same reward. On the other hand, the servant who did nothing with his 1 talent ended up losing it all.
What matters the most isn’t the hand you’ve been dealt in life but rather what you do with it. Are you working at doubling your hand for the Kingdom? What hinders many of us is our wrong belief that life is unfair or that God plays favorites. God has given you exactly what you need in order for you to fulfill your purpose in life.
Some people are five talent musicians. They have been given this ability from God and God expects a return on His investment. I have not received this, I’m a one talent musician – I sing in the shower, in my living room and as part of corporate worship during church services. You’ll never see me on stage leading worship but I am using what I do have to worship the Lord and He finds that pleasing.
Think about some of the things that seem unfair in our world – genetics, beauty, talents and abilities, upbringing, finances, infertility, job opportunities, etc. Maybe you’ve gotten a bad deal in a few of those areas or maybe you’ve gotten a great hand of cards. The Master gets to determine how He distributes things, it’s our job to make the most with what we’ve got – to serve Him and thank Him and believe that He loves us and that He has no favorites! It’s time that we begin to see our lives from a different perspective. Today, God is inviting you to see your life through His eyes. He sees things very differently than the world.
Personal Reflection:
Step One: Ask the Lord to show you something in your personal life that you have felt was unfair.
Step Two: Ask Jesus to show you how this makes you feel (try not to be vague, write down real emotions; I felt used, hurt, betrayed, ignored, ashamed, angry, confused, etc.).
Step Three: Ask Jesus to show you any lies that you believed in that situation (could be a lie about Him, yourself, a person or a situation). Confess that you believed that lie.
Step Four: Ask Jesus to show you the truth and His deeper meaning/purpose for that thing that was unfair.
Prayer: Thank God for what He showed you today, praise Him for His goodness and mercy and love towards you.
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