You’re at Chick-fil-A and you observe a family with two young children. They both want the free birthday treat, but only one of them has a birthday right now. The other one screams, “that’s not fair!” We tend to look at this and giggle inside our heads as adults. We know that we’ve all been there and done that at some point. Yet, did we leave that all behind?

As a former elementary school teacher and someone who still tutors kiddos daily I am familiar with this phrase!

I’ve even said it as an adult. Granted typically to someone I trust or just to myself or God, but many of us still say this phrase as we get older.

But here’s the thing.

Life is not fair.

God never said it would be fair. I mean, think about it. If life was fair would Jesus have had to die on the cross? Why do we keep expecting earth to be like heaven?

This world is not our home. We are told in the Bible that if we know Jesus that in this world, we will have trouble. (John 16:33) But… This is a big but… take heart because Jesus has overcome the world! That is where our hope lies!  

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NKJV

Our hope does not lie in what people say about us, what we accomplish, what happens to us or doesn’t happen to us on earth. Our hope only lies in God.

Don’t get me wrong, I get the grief, anger, and sadness that comes when life isn’t fair on earth. It’s not fair that my family was a disaster and that I have no blood relatives that I’m connected to. It’s not fair I was never given the chance to get married and have children of my own, so I will never have children or grandchildren. It’s not fair that my life completely unraveled because of the trauma I’ve been through. It’s not fair that I had to endure all of the abuse I did. I could go on and on…

Just like it’s not fair…

You lost that baby.

You were abused.

You were in a car wreck that changed your life.

Your child has cancer.

Your husband or wife cheated on you and your marriage crumbled.

You got a cancer diagnosis.

You lost your job because you told the truth and stood for truth.

Those are just a few examples I can think of that people may encounter. Obviously I could list things all day long, but you get the point. None of it’s fair.

Fairness is really something we created as humans. Greedy and very sinful humans. Because when God created the world, He wanted us all to live in beauty and love in relationship with Him without the heartache. But we screwed that up. Starting with Adam and Eve and from there, we are all born sinful people

We need Jesus. That is where we get the term “born again”. We have been born of the flesh when we came into this world, but we must be born of the spirit as well…in relationship with Jesus.

Jesus came and lived a perfect life, but was tortured, abused, ridiculed, abandoned, rejected, spit on, yelled at, cursed, beaten, and crucified on a cross. That means his body was nailed to a cross. What is fair about that?

Nothing.

As I went through the grief process again recently in regards to the unfairness of some things I have encountered, I had to come back to this.

This world is not my home.

I can’t feel completely at peace in this life. That will come when this life passes away.

It brings to mind my life verse 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

It reminds me of a line from Laura Story’s song: Blessings. “When darkness seems to win we know that pain reminds this heart, that this is not, this is not our home, It’s not our home, ‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy? What if trials of this life the rain, the storms, the hardest nights, are Your mercies in disguise?”

Father God,
Comfort me when life isn’t fair. Help me keep my eyes focused on You and remember whatever I’m enduring is only for a moment. Especially in comparison to the time I will spend with You and eternity. Remind me what I see here on earth is only temporary, but my time with You is eternal and forever. You are where my hope lies. Help me to remember this when life is “unfair”. Use these things and times to draw me closer to you and realize they can be mercies in disguise if I allow them to make me more dependent on You and You alone. May You receive all the glory for my life. Let it not be about me, and all about You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen

Laura Story – Blessings

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