Fair.
What is fair?
I’ve heard my David say often, “Fair ended at the Garden” (Garden of Eden).
This is true. Once Eve and Adam broke “God’s law,” it was over. Done. Accelerating rapidly into the “How in the world do we fix this?” phase.
Is it “fair” that God cast Adam and Eve away from this “amazingly-perfect-world” and instituted unGodly, earthly, imperfect, totally-unfair, law-breaking-consequences to our actions?
I’m sure A&E wanted to say, “Oh my GOSH! I’m so sorry, God. I didn’t understand what you meant. It was just so tough because he (Satan, in this case) tricked us and made it look so good and so rewarding…and so ok. Oh, please don’t change anything. We’ll do better next time. We promise!”
It’s not fair that you, as a good, strong, Godly, lovingly-sacrificial mother, lose your oldest son to his dead-beat father because he gets more attention and gifts and privilege there…no rules to follow.
It’s not fair that you follow all the protocols and procedures at work, spend years perfecting your craft and ability, giving your whole life to your career…just to lose a well-deserved promotion to the boss’ son…and then lose your job because the company implodes because he doesn’t know what the heck he’s doing.
It’s not fair that you exercise, eat right, drink plenty of water, say your prayers and pat your tail…and the doctor still tells you, “You have breast cancer.” And you spend the next 3-4 years connected at the hip to doctors and procedures and medications and appointments and all the total caca that comes with it.
And, it’s totally not fair that a man who lived his whole entire life serving others, loving those who society condemns and are considered unloveable, who never committed ONE SIN, who taught people to live a life of love and generosity and sacrifice and unselfishness and forgiveness…was nailed to a cross and crucified.
(In fact, to be “fair,” the crucifixion was the greatest “unfairness” in the history of the world.)
Talk about agony! The greatest, most epic agony to the heart of a holy, LOVING God, was watching his perfect Son beaten to a pulp, mocked, spit on, ridiculed, and crucified…knowing that His perfect Son was assuming all the sin of all mankind. NO FAIR!!!
Yet……..without it……..hmmmmmmmm. #iamthankful
Life. Is. Not. Fair. And the sooner we realize this fact, the more understandable our life will be.
Realizing that God works his purpose through all the unfairness? Not easy, but hopefully somewhat comforting, and empowering!
God never, ever, ever promised “fair”. He just didn’t. Sorry to break the news.
So……where is our “loving God” when life seems “unfair”? Why, in these “unfair” daily-life times, does God seem to be distant and so uncaring?? It’s a legitimate question! And a question that God isn’t threatened by your asking it.
You may feel like you are being treated unfairly…barely scraping by in your own life, while the “apparent” success of others who seem to have NO REGARD for God or anything about God, are living high on the hog…no exes, no cancer, no lost promotions, no cut in pay.
Hear this: GOD SEES YOUR HEART!! God doesn’t look at your circumstances, fair or otherwise. He looks at your heart…your intent…your motive…your purpose.
If you are truly trying to be obedient to Him, even during the toughest of times when things are not “fair,” God is still there and will lift you up at the right time. We just need to be focusing on the right thing so that God can bless.
James 4;10 (Message paraphrase) tells us, “Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”
1 Peter 5:6 says, “…be content with who you are… God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time.”
Trust Him. Wait on Him. Don’t wait on favorable, comfortable, fair circumstances to make you feel better about your life or your relationship with God.
And while you’re in the midst of the “waiting,” give all your worries and all your concerns and all your questions and all your anxieties to God. Because, “he is most careful with you.” (1 Peter 5:7, Message)
Why?
Because. He. Cares. For. You.
If you’re feeling that you’ve been treated ‘unfairly’…here are some things that may help you.
- REALIZE that God sees it all. HE SEES IT ALL!! There is nothing that slips past Him. N.O.T.H.I.N.G. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him.” When you realize this truth, unfairness doesn’t really come into play.
- REJOICE…even when there doesn’t seem to be a reason at all to rejoice. When you rejoice when there’s really nothing to rejoice about, when life or circumstances are unfair, and you want to lash out at God, but you don’t…this gets God’s attention. 2 Thessalonians 5:18 says this, “…give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” There’s no better way in the world to show God that your heart is a surrendered heart than to be thankful in your unfair circumstances, even when life is pretty stinky and not going as well as you had hoped.
- REMEMBER that God totally opposes and goes against the proud…the pride of those who think they have it all together, because life has been pretty good to them. But on the flip side, to those who act humbly, He gives a truck-load of GRACE!!! (James 4:6)
Life is not easy. It’s freaking TOUGH…full of broken promises, devastated hearts, sinking dreams and lost visions,…but as we go through this life of “all of that,” as believers, we can honestly and confidently trust GOD…in spite of it all…in spite of all the unfairness we see.
My prayer for you and for me is that we’ll be able to say what King David said, as he realized the awesomeness of God’s protection AND provision: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose way is blameless” (Psalm 84:11)
God is…and always has been…and always will be…unfairly good to us.
#dropthemic
the girl ramsey 