Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? So the last will be first, and the first last (Matt. 20:13-16).

Coming to faith in Jesus happens on God’s timetable, confirming the purpose and value of each person. 

Those saved early in life are God’s lifeboats, gathering others by a lifelong witness to the blessings of grace. Those saved late in life are God’s lighthouses, rescuing those who are still sailing amid rocky shoals with beacons of grace. These beacons signal, “It’s not too late to turn from danger to your salvation.” 

God’s lifeboats and lighthouses are both products of his gracious heart. If all whom God saves were children, there would be no hope for the mature without Christ. If only the mature could receive the Savior, then children would be neglected. 

No guilt can seem greater than that of parents converted in their mature years, but who raised their children without Jesus. Relief from such guilt comes by trusting God’s timing, wisdom, and heart. 

An adult convert can be the lighthouse God always intended for others (including one’s adult children) to receive the message: There’s still hope for me. I may be coming in late, but God still wants me. By contrast, Jesus’ love for a child can be God’s most powerful sign of grace for those who could never earn it.

The wonder of God’s grace includes his working individually in each of our lives. He knows the best timing for each human heart and how best to use each personal story. Through each God tells all the same message: “You are valuable to my Kingdom purposes.”

Prayer:
Lord, help me to be a beacon of grace to those around me, proclaiming that it’s never too late to come to Christ, or too early to be used to bring others.