Unjust gain? I love birds, but I struggle to appreciate the Brown-Headed Cowbird. While it has some redeeming qualities, like following cattle to eat ground dwelling insects, behavior is despicable. It lays its eggs in other birds' nests, taking advantage of their hard work. The scavenger chicks often push out the resident chicks to monopolize food. The Cowbird truly embodies opportunism, exploiting others unfairly.
Think about it. Identifying advantageous opportunities is wise; exploiting others’ misfortunes for our own gain is not.
God’s Word: “Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).”
The Bible gives this warning. “Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high” (Habakkuk 2:9). Knowing when to seize an opportunity may not always be the most important thing in life for a Christian. Knowing when to forego an advantage, however, is. Taking advantage of others may work for a while; in the end, however, taking advantage can often lead to losing an opportunity to show the mercy often hidden in the nest of human kindness.
We pray. “Heavenly Father, thank You for all Your creatures, each with unique qualities. Help us to appreciate even the challenging ones like the Cowbird. Grant us the wisdom to support one another rather than exploit, guiding us toward kindness, understanding, and collaboration in all our relationships. In Jesus' name. Amen.”
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34)
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