It's One Thing For Me, But For You...?

I realized something about grace today.

I'm not good at wanting it for others.

As a Christian, who relies on Grace for - well, everything - I'd think that this wouldn't be the case. I know that by Grace alone we are saved from eternal torment, and you'd think that I'd want that for everyone. I know that I verbalize my hope for all persons to come to the saving knowledge of Christ and the act of living faith.

And I'm ok with mercy and forgiveness. Mercy is not dishing out what has been [negatively] deserved. Much like a stay of execution; allowing to live what was sentenced to death. But Grace...

a statistic makes the point on-line

I realized this issue this morning as I responded to an article (well, more of an image) that a facebook friend posted via Upworthy about minimum wage and it's costs. I spent several minutes crafting and posting my reply about how raising minimum wage will not really solve the problems of those making it, and will actually increase those at a poverty level as cost-of-living increases, and ultimately will cost citizens and government more. I have quite an opinion on this issue, as someone who worked for minimum wage for a good decade in food services.

And thus I realized my hesitancy to grant grace to others.

You see, when you make minimum wage, you can earn raises, and that precious 50 cents an hour above the nationally and state required minimum is something I was always proud of; always earning the highest possible raise. And then the powers that be would raise the minimum wage, either to what I had just spent years earning, or sometimes even higher. Which would mean that the just-hired-last-week employee would be making just as much as my 3-years-of-toil had gotten me.

And that just plain chapped  my hide.

Add to that insult the increased cost of living, (and it wasn't that they were as "rich" as I was, but that I was now as "poor" as the entry level folk) and you ended up with a bunch of unhappy employees all around. So it never occurred to me that this was something I should wish for others to have. They needed to work just as hard as I had to be compensated the same.

Enter God speaking to me in my whining and somewhat selfish attitude.

denarius with Tiberius' likeness

In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard workers. The gist of the tale is that workers hired at different times of the day all get paid the same wage, no matter how long they had worked. And that really ticked off those who had gotten there at dawn to work the fields. When they saw the folk who had only worked an hour get a full day's wage, they assumed they would get more (even though they had agreed to that same amount). But when it came their turn to get paid, it was the same denarius that the latecomers had received.

Cordon Bleu is still my favorite

And the new girl at Arby's was getting paid the same hourly wage as those of us who had put in several years. Suddenly, I find myself in the story, and it's in the role of the

complaining party.

I believe in Heaven; not levels of heaven, not my-mansion-is-bigger-than-yours heaven, but a place in the presence of the Lord God Almighty where our cares, pains, mourning, petty arguing, and other grit are gone in the experience of an inconceivable [to our finite minds] deity.

And I'm a big believer in death-bed conversions, where (for example's sake) a convicted mass murderer gets the same saving Grace from Christ Jesus as someone who has called Him "master" since the age of 3. It's just the nature of grace; receiving something [positive] when there is absolutely no deserving of it.

So, all politics aside, what is the problem with someone with less experience getting the same wages that I get as someone who has worked for 20+ years? I mean, away from all the accusations of Socialism, Communism, and Capitalism, why am I so upset that someone gets more? Shouldn't I be happy for them?

This is where I think the stereotype of upset-looking Christians comes from, at least surrounding this issue. I should celebrate that someone is getting more than they signed up for (or the same as I signed up for).

share your joy

Referencing Jesus' teachings in the Bible again, there was a widow who lost a 10th of her lifesavings, "and when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke15:8-10)

That's a picture of Grace that I don't want to forget!

And so you know what? While it bothers me in the whole political-economic sphere of things about increasing minimum wage, if it happens, I'm going to be happy for those who have more. And I'll consider ways in which to adjust to inflation that comes as a result. And I'll work with others to find avenues in which we can fight the shrinking of the middle class. And I'll take the continued criticism of my more liberal friends and the added disparagement of my more conservative friends (politically minded references in both cases).

It's grace, and that is one ting that I have absolutely no foundation to stand and argue against.

Because I need it every minute, of every hour, of every day.

And, thanks be to God, it's there every moment.