No Fair!

Back in high school I was very involved in our school’s choir and was privileged to attend the state competition with the group many of those years. I remember one year in particular when several individuals were asked to compete in the solo portion of the competition and there were several talented singers representing our school, one of which was predicted to win all state. You can imagine our shock when the scores came in and that individual was slotted in last place and one of the weaker singers of the group was in first! Our choir director immediately went to the board protesting some kind of miscommunication and it was discovered that the judge in charge of scoring had assumed that on a scale of 1-5 that 5 was the less desirable score and 1 was the best and therefore had accidentally placed the first last and the last first. Because the “scores” had already been announced, the board felt uncomfortable revoking the award and backed the erroneous scores. I felt horrible for the young girl who was assumed to have the competition “in the bag” and watched as she very graciously kept quiet about the whole ordeal as to not take away from the glory of the other singer as they announced her accomplishment in chapel the following Monday.

Looking back on that incident I am not sure how I would have reacted had I been put in that position. So many times I feel a sense of entitlement for things I “feel” I deserve: promotions, equal treatment, recognition, vacation, discounts, forgiveness, the list is endless. How much different would my life be if I focused less on what I feel I deserve and more on the gift that I don’t deserve yet was freely given to me?

The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:11-12

Your thoughts?