Many people distrust God because he blesses reborn believers unequally.
Some of us endure more distress than others. Our temporal needs are more persistent and acute. We get less relief. Others enjoy more abundance than we do.
The apostle Peter raised the issue of unequal blessing during an uncomfortable conversation with Jesus.
Peter And John
Near the end of his life on earth, Jesus asked Peter to affirm his love for him three times. Each time Peter did so, Jesus commanded him to minister to others on his behalf.
Jesus told Peter he would die a gruesome death for his faithfulness in this effort, but the manner of his death would glorify God. Jesus then summarized Peter’s earthly mission in two words, “Follow me!”
Peter responded to this ominous warning by asking Jesus what was going to happen to the apostle John.
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
Peter preached for several years until he died a martyr’s death via crucifixion. Tradition says he insisted on being crucified upside down because he felt unworthy of dying in the same manner as Jesus.
John ministered for decades until he was exiled to an island off the coast of Greece. Tradition says he died peacefully of old age, after being spared from execution years earlier through divine intervention.
Both men now enjoy the same elevated status in heaven as an eternal reward for their earthly faithfulness.
Peter’s Question
At its core, Peter’s question to Jesus was about unequal blessing, as viewed from our human perspective.
He implicitly asked, “If God is not going bless me with a long, easy life, how is he going to treat John? Will we suffer equally? Or will God bless us unequally?”
The answer Jesus gave Peter—What is it to you? Follow me—includes inherent truths that shine heavenly light on the concept of unequal blessing.
- God is sovereign. He can bless whomever he chooses, however, and whenever he wants.
- God assigns every reborn believer a divine destiny, a uniquely personal mission that glorifies him within a designated sphere of influence.
- Each of our missions has the same purpose—to spread the Gospel to unbelievers, nurture the faith of believers, and minister to the hurting people we encounter.
- God varies the timing, place, scope, and focus of our individual missions so his message reaches everyone in every walk of life.
- God blesses us accordingly with the abundance we need to prepare for and fulfill our distinct missions.
- But because the variables in our disparate missions are unique, God blesses us differently, i.e., unequally.
Mission Determines Blessing
Peter and John shared the same divine purpose, but God gave them personalized missions that glorified him in distinct ways.
He blessed them unequally because the differences in the nature and extent of their missions dictated that their blessings also differ.
Heavenly Equality
Although God treated Peter and John unequally from an earthly perspective, he treated them equally from a heavenly perspective.
God gave both men the same earthly opportunity to glorify him as they pursued the same divine purpose.
He gave both men what they needed to prepare for and accomplish their unique missions.
He rewarded them equally in heaven for their faithfulness.
Our Faithfulness
Whether God blesses us on earth with little or much, from a worldly perspective, our responsibility is to fulfill our assigned mission as best we can, so he can glorify himself in and through us.
Our faithfulness in completing our earthly mission impacts our enjoyment of heaven.
Eternal Delight
All reborn believers will share equally in the benefits of heaven, without exception, but some of us will have more to celebrate than others.
Those who fulfilled their divine missions on earth will enjoy for eternity the added delight of relishing how God glorified himself through their faithfulness.
Realigning Our Perspective
Instead of wondering why God blesses others more than us—which is akin to covetousness—we should be thankful for the blessings we currently enjoy and focus on using them to accomplish our unique missions.
We should assume the blessings God has supplied are sufficient for us to spread the Gospel within our present sphere of influence and nurture the faith of the people we currently encounter. We should ask God to make us aware of those he has prepared for our outreach.
We should also intercede for those that God blesses more than us. We should pray they realize that God is the source of their blessings, and that as a result, they draw close to him and use their blessings for his intended purpose.