There are some things that are crucial for Christians to understand. One of those things is our understanding of fairness.
Oxford Dictionary defines fairness as, impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination.
If we don’t have a good understanding of fairness, our thinking can get really messed up. So what do we need to know, exactly? Here are a couple things that help:
First, we must understand that God is never unfair, but people, even God’s people, have always accused Him of being unfair. For instance, the prophet Ezekiel ministered to God’s people at a time in history when they lived in exile in Babylonia.
In exile, Israel accused God of being unfair. Here’s how He responded, Ezekiel 18:29
…the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not right.’ Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right?
Basically, the Lord says to His people, “You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Their vision didn’t extend beyond the end of their noses. All they could see was that they were living a life they didn’t want and they blamed God for that.
Any of us can do the same. We can come up with any multitude of reasons to accuse God of being unfair. When I was a child, I thought God was unfair. I thought that if God had made me more intelligent, school wouldn’t have been so hard for me, and life would have been better. If I could have been born into a different family, I wouldn’t have had the bad experiences I had, and life would have been better. If He would have made me a talented athlete, I could have had fortune and fame, and life would have been better. It wasn’t fair that others had what I wanted and didn’t have.
But then I discovered Jesus and like Saul, the scales fell from my eyes (Acts 9:18), and I realized how wrong I had been. It was not God’s ways that were wrong, it was my ways, my thinking, that was wrong.
I learned through God’s Word that God did not create the sad state of our current world, we did, by our own choices and the effects of sin are seen throughout the entire world, in all creation.
Second, we must understand that not only is God never unfair, but that He is always MORE than fair. Fair treatment from God would be God giving us what we deserve, but God doesn’t give us what we deserve, He gives us BETTER than we deserve.
Again, when I discovered Jesus, I learned that He had to come to this earth, live a perfect life, die a terrible death and be raised from the dead so that I could be saved from eternal punishment in Hell.
THAT isn’t fair. Taking the punishment someone else deserves isn’t fair. Committing no sin, no crime and being sentenced to death isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that Jesus had to do those things, but He did because God is MORE than fair. He gives us BETTER than we deserve.
Looking back, the things that I thought made my life unfair were blessings. If God had made me more intelligent, I might believe that I’m smarter than Him, and never seek true wisdom. If I had been born into a different family and not had bad experiences, I may never have sought a better life in Christ.
If I had been given the talent needed to have fame and fortune, I may never have sought out God, but worshiped a false god, or believed myself to be a god.
I haven’t learned all there is to know about fairness, but what I have learned is that the things that I once thought were unfair were actually blessings in disguise and many things that I once thought were blessings were traps in disguise.
Praise the Lord that He is always better to us than what we deserve! He is always more than fair, so beware of the toxic thoughts and demonic theology that He is ever unfair.
Much love!
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
