Have you ever been involved in an activity, event, or meeting, where you thought to yourself, “This is going to be an easy win,” or the opposite, “This is going to be a disaster”? The reasons could be numerous. The one party, which could be yours, may not have received the necessary information or materials to prepare sufficiently, and this can be quite evident from the onset of the meeting. One group may have what they call ‘home field advantage’ being from the area that is under discussion, with the other being unfamiliar with their surroundings. In lawyers’ circles, when it comes to light that the prosecutor is calling a witness that the defending attorney did not know about in advance, the judge will most likely call a recess so that they can all get up to speed and be able to prepare a line of questioning for the defense. The scenarios could go on forever, but the fact of the matter is that in most business dealings and in the situations of life, we all want to have fair treatment, an equal chance to plead our case or give our perspective or be heard.
The internet states this, “Level playing field and leveling the playing field are two idioms that have been in use since the latter 1900s. A level playing field is a situation in which conditions are fair for everyone, where opportunities are equal for all involved, where no one has an advantage over the other. Leveling the playing field means altering conditions to provide an equal opportunity for all of those who are involved, to change the conditions of a situation to make things fair for everyone. The idioms a level playing field and leveling the playing field are sports metaphors. Field sports such as football, soccer, field hockey, rugby, etc., should be played on a level field. A sloping sports field yields an unfair advantage for one team, who must run up the slope to score. Most sports involve changing the teams’ goals at halftime to be sure there is no unfair advantage. The phrases a level playing field and leveling the playing field were first used as idioms in the 1970s to describe fair opportunities in business. Often, sports terms become idioms when their use migrates to the business world.”
We have seen the playing field in various sports literally being leveled. The turf constantly needs maintenance and care. This is to make it safe for the players and to give everyone a fair advantage. Golf, football, and soccer are some of the most familiar ones. I have seen horse racing shows, on a track, as well as barrel racing held in an arena, where the dirt must constantly be raked and smoothed out before each race. In ice hockey and ice skating arenas, they are continuously running the Zamboni machine that shaves off the top layer of ice, then spreads layers of water on top to keep the ice smooth for all the players. We would not see them clearing the dirt, ice, or field for only the players they liked, or admired, or who they thought would win. If this were ever the case, it would be considered foul play, and the match would be forfeited by the team responsible for the infraction.
Companies all over the world spend multiple hours and thousands of dollars on training their new employees. They are all given the same training and opportunities to gain the knowledge they need to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. They are given the same equipment and access to the same materials and supplies. I now work as a Training Officer for the State I live in, and this holds true in our department. We have a class of new employees, with anywhere from 10 to 20 attendees from all over the state, who go through a 6 week virtual course, learning policies that pertain to the programs they will be working with. They then have a 2 week course of in-person training to learn our system. They are then sent to do the tasks they were hired to do, and another group of new hires will come our way. With each class, the same amount of time will be given to the courses, and the same curriculum will be used to teach them. They will have the same equipment and the same opportunity to be successful in their new role with the company. It is a level playing field. This suggests a myriad of questions. Why do some people quit before the class is even over? Why does everyone not succeed or even excel in their new positions?
I am sure you have heard the expression, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink!” The literal reason for that is they are 1200 pounds and you a 120 pounds. You cannot physically make a horse do anything. It is said, “You can ask a horse to do something, but you cannot make them do it.” I speak from experience as a horse owner. However, the same goes for human beings. The metaphor is not translated directly in a physical way, but in a mental and psychological way. It is a fact that humans can and will do just what they want to do, no more and no less, no matter how fair the advantages are. No matter the playing field, effort must be put forth to win a game, or a race, or to succeed in any venture. The fact of the matter is that even when there are unfair circumstances, there are those who will overcome, because they have the desire to do well and achieve remarkable things. There are those who have been born with a silver spoon in their mouths and have everything, yet they fail to amount to anything, purely because of the lack of desire.
The political climate that we see in the twenty-first century, known as Political Correctness, is a movement that suggests that everyone is equal, which is a true statement, and everyone should be treated the same, which I also agree with, no matter the race, nationality, creed, gender, ethnicity, political or religious views and beliefs. However, in endeavoring to remove all barriers to success and all forms of opposition, in trying to level the playing field, they have not considered that in doing so you also remove the individual incentives and initiatives that cause us to propel ourselves forward. They also fail to realize that equal opportunity does not guarantee equal success or achievements. No matter how you slice or dice it, we are all a sum of the ‘whole enchilada,’ called life, and each one’s circumstances, upbringing, backgrounds, environment they were raised in, and cultures are far from being on a level playing field. Yet these are things that have shaped them and brought them to the place where they are as adults. But life does not stop there. We need continual challenges to keep us moving forward. Yet we all have a fair shot at the opportunities that are presented.
The Pharisees we always trying to trick Jesus and turn his words around, trying to find the easiest way to be saved. Trying to justify themselves while throwing others under the bus, and pulling the pity party, ‘but that’s not fair’ card. Jesus did a switch on them, which he was incredibly famous for, in he said, Matthew 5:43-45 “Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” And Ecclesiastes 9:10-11 states, “Whatsoever thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.” Both verses indicate that yes, there is a level playing field, and the opportunity is the same. The water cycle that we learn about in elementary school has been set in motion at creation, but we still must put the work in to accomplish anything. We will have to go above and beyond, and often against the flow to get to where we want to go.
In the olden days of horse and buggies, and agriculture was at the forefront of people’s minds, because it represented whether they would be able to eat that year or not, they worked hard and long hours. The weather was of great significance and the verse about it raining and the sun shining upon everyone would have been an absolute promise and comfort. Their crops depended on rain and sun in proportions that would allow a good harvest. Hearing this verse let them know that God is not partial and does not show favor to one and not the other. However, each farmer had to put in the work of ploughing the rows, planting the seed, and keeping critters away to reap anything at harvest time. In modern times, we know that even though farmers have beautiful machinery that can do just about everything, yet they still must be great administrators of their time, put in long hours, and they still rely on mild weather or rain and sun to have a great harvest. Colossians 3:24-25 says, “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and there is no respect of persons.” God does not play favorites. We will all reap what we sow, whether good or evil.
The men and women that play in the sports that were mentioned earlier, along with many others, especially on a professional level, did not get there just because the playing field was level, but because they put in demanding work daily to achieve their goals. They must take care of their mental health, body, emotional health, sacrifice time and money to improve and hone their skills and build their portfolio. We have all been given the same amount of time in life to work with, twenty-four hours a day, yet it is up to each of us as to how we will use them. This decision will affect the outcome of whether we are productive or not, and whether we succeed in life, in our career, in our relationships or not. We see in Isaiah 26:7-12 his prayer and acknowledgement to God, “The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. In the path of your judgments, Oh Lord, we wait for you, your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness, he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the Lord. Oh Lord, your hand is lifted, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them. Oh Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works.” No matter how fair the advantage is, we cannot take ‘personal choice’ out of the equation. This is the piece of the puzzle that the ‘politically correct’ movement fails to understand.
Just as the Zamboni machine smooths up the ice for the skaters, the turf is fixed on a football field, and the dirt is raked for the horse races, we are given a clean slate when we come to the Lord and are born again. Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The scripture also lets us know in Philippians 2:10-12, which correlates with Isaiah’s prayer, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Yes, God offers the same opportunities to everyone, but will everyone make the choice to accept. We live in a society where there are more jobs than those who want to work. Or even if they take a job, they want the paycheck, but do not want to work. We have the ‘Equal Rights’ movement where they say women should get paid the same wage as men, and I agree with that statement, if, they are able, willing, and doing the same job. A woman in construction will not be able to do all the tasks that a man can do. Do they have women in the construction field? Yes, however, they do not all have the same job description. They are having to make concessions and recategorize the jobs so that the women can hold the flag, or sit in a machine, while you still have the men doing the hard labor. This is an example of a very unlevel playing field.
In the recent 2024 Olympics held in Paris, France, Imane Khelif a transgender boxer from Algeria, was allowed to compete in the women’s boxing tournament, even though he failed the pre-eligibility testing that was conducted. Angela Carini of Italy, quit after 46 seconds of being beat by a man masquerading as a woman. If Imane wanted to win fairly, he should have joined the men’s boxing team, and he could then wear the gold metal proudly. This was not a level playing field for Angela, though she went into the sport expecting that it would be. This, however, was just a product of, and the culmination of, decisions that have been made along the way in our society. Imane did not win ‘fair and square’ but was given an unfair advantage. This has turned into quite a controversial discussion throughout the world and not just in the sporting arena, but in every genre, because this could affect us all in some way, shape, or form going forward. I am so glad that God does not deal with us unfairly. He shows us grace, which is unmerited favor on our part, and mercy, which is withholding of the punishment we deserve for our evil doing. There is a level playing field at the foot of the cross, where he took all our transgressions upon himself. Romans 4:7-8 says, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” And 2 Corinthians 5:19 states, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
The Lord in Matthew 20 tells a parable: “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again, he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, why stand ye here all day idle? They say unto him because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So, when even had come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, these last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil because I am good? So, the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.”
When the Lord returns, we will all be judged upon the choices we made. The opportunity has been given, the playing field has been leveled by the cross, but it is what we choose to do with it that matters. It will not matter when we come to the Lord in our lives, whether we are a seasoned saint of forty years, or a new babe in Christ Jesus, we will all receive the same reward, everlasting life. If your attitude is like the servant who started the job early in the morning and got the penny along with those who only worked an hour or two, you need to check yourself. How is your ‘sportsmanship meter’ reading? How is your ‘loveometer’ reading? 1 John 3:10 states, “…whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.” Matthew 10:22 says, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endures to the end shall be saved.” Just do not be the one who is the hater! Paul says in Philippians 3:14, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” We are striving, pressing, and running together in this thing called life. It was told to the church in Revelation 2:10, “…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
We must keep in mind as we run this race that God deals with us equitably. A portion of Psalm 98 reads, “Oh sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory…. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.” We must remember that any wage, accolade, reward, or crown that we may receive at the end of this life, will not be because of our great works, but because of the work on calvary and God’s love and equity toward us. Yes, there is a level playing field, we all have the Word of God, where we can all learn about the same opportunities of salvation, in this life and the life to come; however, the outcome will depend on how we choose to use this information and pardon we have received. Action is needed on our part. The word of God demands a response. Paul admonishes the saints and young ministers in 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” As the old-timers used to say, “Let us keep, keeping on!”