"How am I supposed to obey God’s commands and follow His principles when my circumstances are so different from those of other people?"
Imagine that you’re a student in an art class. You and dozens of classmates are learning from a master painter. One day your teacher displays a painting of his own. It’s an incredible work of art, and he wants each of you to copy it.
You’re about to begin working when you turn to look at the person next to you. You’re surprised to note that he has a larger brush than your and a differently shaped canvas. You look around at the rest of the class. Some students have acrylic paint, others watercolor, still others oil – and everyone has different colors. Though you all have the same assignment, you each have completely different materials.
This frustrates you. Some students have materials you would prefer for yourself. Why should they get them? You’re not the only student to notice the disparity. A hand goes up. A girl to your left with only a ragged brush and three pale shades of blue on her palette is noticeably agitated. "This isn’t fair," she tells the teacher. "How do you expect me to duplicate your painting when the people around me have so many more colors to choose from?"
The teacher smiles. "Don’t worry about the other students," he says. "I’ve carefully chosen the brushes and paints that each of you has. Trust me. You have what you need to complete the assignment. Remember, your goal is not to create a painting that mirrors the person next to you, but to do your best with the materials I’ve given you to create a picture faithful to my painting."

– Joshua Harris, Boy Meets Girl