[510 words]
“There is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:11).
“All men are created equal” (Declaration of Independence).
People are different and life is not fair. No government program can change this. These may be cold hard facts but they are the truth. God did not make everyone the same. He could have made us all with the same color of eyes and hair. He could have made us all with the same height and weight. But each one of us is unique. Everything from our fingerprints to the sound of our voice makes us special.
Life is full of advantages and disadvantages. No one is everything he would like to be. Some are stronger than others. Some are smarter. Some are more attractive. Some have better health and live longer. We can either spend our lives comparing ourselves to others or we can listen to God and be content with who we are.
Men have advantages over women and women have advantages over men. God made us male and female (Gen. 1:27). People can try to change that all they want but they will never succeed regardless of how many laws they pass or how much they protest. Women have babies and men grow beards. Men are better at doing some things and women are better at doing others. If someone says this is unfair then he needs to take up the matter with the Creator.
Never before have we heard so much talk about equality. Most of it is about money. Many people think they are entitled to have what others have. They resent anyone having more than they do. Even if the politicians they trust could give everyone the same level of income, there would still be the haves and the have nots. Some would save their income and others would waste it. Circumstances would help to make some rich and others poor. Jesus said there will always be poor people (Mark 14:7). Marxist politicians promise equality and an end to poverty, but their standard of living is not equal to everyone else’s. It is above it.
The Bible says, “You shall not covet…anything that is your neighbor’s” (Deut. 5:21). It does not matter if that neighbor is greedy. What he has is his and we have no right to it. That is why another one of the Tent Commandments says, “You shall not steal” (Deut. 5:19). Private property is biblical.
People will never be equal in physical ways. We are equal, however, in the sight of God. That is because we have a soul that is made in the image of God. All men are equal in that all can be saved. “God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:34-35). If people would think more about this they wouldn’t be complaining about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Anyone who obeys can have treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21). That is real equal opportunity.
Kerry Duke
West End church of Christ
Livingston, TN