"Those people worked only one hour, and yet you've paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat." (Matthew 20:12)
What comes to your mind after reading the parable of the workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16? Is this totally unfair and non-sense? The Holy Spirit questioned me once, "Are you thinking that serving the Lord is same as working in this world?" If I apply the same mindsets and motives in this world and in the kingdom of God, I will end up being in a very wrong place. What are some significant differences?
First of all, serving the Lord never starts with our own strength, abilities, or qualification but always with His invitation. This parable is very clear that the master went out, searched, found and invited the workers to join his work; these workers never wrote the resumes, applied for the positions or competed with other candidates. We never earn the right to serve Him, but this is simply a gift from the Lord. Therefore, there is no room for comparing, competing, jealousy, superiority or inferiority in God’s kingdom.
Secondly, our primary motive to serve the Lord should never be a reward or amount of wages, but longing for Him who is the greatest master and the most loving Father. If this is our primary motive to serve, those workers in the parable who worked all day long got to spend a whole day with their best daddy, working together for His good purpose, having a coffee break together, eating lunch together, joking to each other all day long. At the end of the day, they must have said, "It was the best day!", and not even care the wages.
I am so grateful that people who have discipled me have never emphasized on "serving Him" over "adoring Him”. Adoration - deepest love and respect to Him always anchors me in Christ through many different seasons, now as a stay-at-home mom who is leading a small group of three little children every day. Never replace your adoration to Him with any other things, even good things like serving, working and leading. In some seasons, the wages might look unfair, but if you deeply cherish Jesus, any seasons will become fruitful, meaningful and beautiful.