We can be very grateful that God's ways and thoughts are not like ours. God sees the 'big picture' and is not motivated by resentment, fear, greed, or anger, as many people are. God's ways might seem very strange to us and, at times, inexplicable. But we can be sure we are in good hands and that all works out for the good for those who love God. We must always seek Him and His ways - it is our purpose in life.Paul reminds us that we need not fear anything. It does not matter what happens to us in a sense, for living is Christ and dying is gain. We are always in the hands of the Lord.

In the parable of the vineyard, those who worked the longest in the heat of the day expected to be paid more. But those who came late and worked only an hour were paid the same wage, so those who worked the longest were outraged. The owner stood firm: all are equal and get the same pay. That is how it is with God - we are not in competition with anyone, and all are treated with the same mercy, compassion, and generosity by God regardless of how long they worked in the vineyard.