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Topic: Favoritism (02/28/05)
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TITLE: The Favorite | Previous Challenge Entry
By Chris Foo
03/05/05 -
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To these five servants, the king dispatched them to govern the four corners of the land. The north, south, east and west were given to the four “talents”. The center, the capital, was assigned to the “farmer”. To give each servant a goal to strive for, the king issued a challenge – to be completed in a year’s time.
The first challenge was to see who could to produce the most wheat in the year. At the end of the year, each of the servants reported to the king how much they had produced. The outcome surprised the entire court – the farmer had won.
“Congratulations!” they all said to him. But the young man exclaimed, “It was because of the genius of our great king! He devised machines that could plant more seeds and harvest the crops in half the time! Oh what a privilege it is to be witness to such majesty!”
The four talents winced when they heard it. Maybe he got lucky and each vowed that they would make sure that they won the next round.
When it was time for the winner to claim his reward from the king, the farmer fell prostrate and refused to accept the reward, “Oh Lord, that I may be your servant all the days of my life and be able to bask in your magnificence! That is all I ask and desire!”
The next year, the king issued a new challenge – to build the tallest tower. The winner would have to be able to go up his tower, look down and see the tops of the other towers.
Again a year went by and the entire court congregated at the royal palace to find out who had won this time. But when the result was announced, everyone was shocked to hear that the farmer had won! So they congratulated him again, but the young man went around exclaiming to everyone in the court, “No, it was not me! Our great king instructed me to build the tower on top of the highest mountain in the land. What genius! What wisdom!” Indeed, he was so full of praise for the king, he invited everyone who was willing to go up with him to the tower to view the expanse of the kingdom – each time singing the praise of his lord who so brilliantly governed the land.
The following year, the king issued yet another challenge. This time the four talents had had enough of the farmer winning and decided that they would conspire to work together even if it meant that only one of them would win. But as in the past 2 years, the farmer won again. Indignant, the four requested an audience with the king.
“Lord, you are not being fair! Why have you helped the farmer time and again? How can the best man win if the playing field is not level?” they asked.
“You four are asking me this because you wish to attain glory for yourselves! My servant only wants to see me glorified and praised. Remember, it is for my glory that you have been entrusted with as my servants. That is the rule of the game. If you don’t agree with it, you may join the last chief minister who tried to usurp my glory – in the dungeon!”
My dear friends, whether it is our career, family or church work, we do it for His glory and not ours. And if we feel that we have not been given the blessings that we ask for, perhaps it is because He knows that we will not give Him all the glory and so holds it back. So please, look at it from His eyes.
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