Understanding “life just isn’t fair,” leaning on God
“Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (Luke 18:7)
Recently, I’ve been seeing a bumper sticker that proclaims “If you want peace, work for justice.”
And you have likely heard people say, “Life just isn’t fair.”
I point out those two quotations because often people feel justice is needed to remedy someone not being treated fairly. I am not dismissing those situations where there is indeed injustice or discrimination, but hopefully you realize many situations where people are crying out for justice are places where someone needs to understand “life just isn’t fair.”
My children and many of the athletes whom I’ve had the privilege of coaching over the years will tell you I preach “life just isn’t fair” over and over. If we spend the majority of our time whining about how we haven’t gotten a fair shake or how unfair it is someone got something we didn’t, we live a very miserable life.
Look closely at our Bible verse this week. What a great reminder justice doesn’t rest in our hands or depend on what we think. True justice is in the hands of the one who rules and controls all things – our Almighty God.
If you want to talk about a situation where someone might cry out “Life just isn’t fair” or contend they didn’t get justice, look at the one who has given us freedom when we truly deserved real justice and punishment – Jesus our Savior. Jesus was treated like a rogue criminal whenHhe was innocent. He was punished like a murderer when He had killed no one. Mark 15:5 tells us when he was falsely accused and treated like a common criminal, “Jesus still made no reply.”
Why didn’t Jesus reply or cry out “Life just isn’t fair?” First, Jesus knew he had to go through what was happening to him as part of his work to win our forgiveness and salvation. Second, and a good lesson for us, Jesus knew and trusted things were in the hands of his heavenly Father and God would “bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night.”
This side of heaven, nothing will be perfect. We live in a world affected by and under the curse of sin.
The next time you want to cry out “life just isn’t fair,” remember the wonderful promise our God gives us in Romans 8:28: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” It may not be in the way or at the time we want, but we can live confident of the promise God is working on our side and with our best interest in mind.