THAT'S NOT FAIR!

The children are always coming up with new manipulative tactics, whether it is throwing themselves on the floor, over-dramatizing things, or new comments to try.

A few months ago it was, "that's not fair."

I don't know if my husband coined the phrase, or if he heard it from somewhere, but his response was, "If everything were fair, we'd all go to hell!

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23)

"For the wages of sin is death." (Rom. 6:23)

I was interested to find this passage in Ezekiel, particularly the second half of chapter 18.  Verse 25 says, "'Yet you say, "The way of the Lord is not fair."  Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?'"

God is a just God.

If we were honest, we wouldn't want it any other way.  Imagine if He weren't just.  Sinners didn't get punished.  Righteous didn't get rewarded.  No sense of predictability and security and justice would come from that.  Just think of the latest front page trial, and it's pretty obvious we long for justice...just not our own.

I think what my kids are looking for when they declare unfairness is same-ness.  When we mentally declare unfairness, I think we are doing the same.

We do this in many ways:

How can I do the right thing and still have to live paycheck to paycheck, when so-and-so is a horrible person and has everything they ever wanted?

Why do I have to work so hard just for a tolerable marriage and they have it so good?

What did I do to deserve this pain?

Just as we know what is best for each of our children, who are each different ages, with different personalities, in different stages of their growth and maturity, and grow them up according to their individual needs, strengths, and limits, so God does for us.

Fortunately for us, somehow God can pull off being just and merciful at the same time...but at quite a cost.

"And He Himself is the propitiation (payment) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world." (1 Jn. 2:2)

In His mercy, God decided to satisfy justice Himself on our behalf.

Praise God for His merciful "unfairness!"

MEDITATE ON IT

Who in your sphere of influence do you compare yourself to?  What is the fruit of that comparison?

What of God's mercies have you taken for granted wishing for "fairness?"

Have you accepted the gift of God's payment for your sin, which you have been offered freedom from?  If not, why?

PRAY ABOUT IT

Father and Savior, how gracious of You to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.  Left in a state of guilt and powerless to redeem ourselves, You offered Yourself in our place.  Father, grow in us daily a heart of gratitude and an understanding of the fullness of Your sacrifice for us and love for us.  Forgive us attitudes of entitlement, ungratefulness, and self-pity.  Forgive us for not trusting You to know what is best for us each individually, and comparing our portions to others'.  Thank You for Your lavish love.

LIVE IN IT

"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

"To demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:26)

"They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: 'Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty!  Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!'" (Revelation 15:3)