The Other Side of the Story

Scripture: "These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night." Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine." Genesis 31:41-43a

Observation: Last year, I noted how Jacob seemed to have a lot of tricks - the way he secured the best of the flocks for himself then had to flea from Laban. However, there is another side to this story. Jacob outlines a case where Laban has cheated Jacob, changing his wages, changing the 'rules', and placing all risk and burden on Jacob. Jacob even outlines how God revealed to him which flocks would be successful.

In other words, God has blessed Jacob in abundance, even as Laban himself was manipulating the situation to cheat him. However, even now Laban cannot accept that situation. He goes so far as to state that not only are Jacob's flocks actually his, but Jacob's own children by being the offspring of his daughters are actually his children.

And pivotal in the story is the revelation that Laban does not worship God ... he has his own gods and idols, and even though he acknowledges the existence of God (even fearing the authority of God) he refuses to be part of a relationship with God.

Application: These situations strike me as similar to modern-day dynamics between believers and non-believers. Non-believers:

-- May accept that God exists
-- Even if they do, they do not fear him
-- They worship their own possessions
-- They believe they are "owed" prosperity
-- When someone else is more prosperous, they blame that person for their lot in life

Meanwhile, strong believers:

-- Listen to God's direction in their lives
-- Are often blessed by following that direction
-- The blessing isn't always easy ... it can be hard work and take a long time
-- Blessing is still just in context of being loved by God regardless their circumstance
-- Are often persecuted by others simply due to the peace in their lives

Often, I believe self-centered, godless living is a characteristic of our times. However, this story shows it's been around forever. And anyone who believes in God and is content in their life as a result is likely to be hated by "the world" - scorned by others who are living for themselves and for their next dollar (or sheep or euro or goat or whatever).

(Quick side note: I am NOT talking about a "prosperity gospel" ... the goal is contentment in whatever blessing God wishes to provide, and NOT that believing in God produces abundant blessing.)

Prayer: My great father, you have truly blessed me far beyond anything I could hope. I have material comfort, personal happiness, familial love, and daily peace. I know people who resent me for it. Please help me to keep one truth in mind - these people are not to be hated in return, but to be loved because they have a tremendous hole in their lives that only you can fill. I need to turn my cheek and love them, showing them both the love of Jesus and the hope of eternal life that brings your true peace. May I more and more become a peacemaker. Amen.