Tuesday, April 5, 2011

God is not fair!

To live in a world that says everybody has to be treated equally and that we should do everything we do with the consideration of making everybody feel the same, it seems almost passe' to make the statement that God Is Not Fair! In fact, my own ears almost curled when I first heard somebody make the assumption that the loving, gracious and holy God that I have served for the last 20 years could be unfair. In my mind, the idea of God as unfair or not considerate equated to a un-loving or cruel God that I did not want to serve or worship, and didn't resemble the God I had developed in my head. We love to see God as the God of blessing, prosperity and giving, but what about those people who have spent the last decade in war torn, poverty stricken nations who cry themselves to sleep because they are starving and are not even sure that they will wake up when the do finally doze off? They don't know life any other way, or see that it could be better, like we do. What about those children who are sold into the sex trade without even being able to say no and end up brutally tortured and some murdered? How is it that I have been blessed to grow up with good parents, loving family, always having a roof over my head and food to eat yet many kids will never experience what I know as a normal life? Many times we shape and mold God into an idea that suits our fragile minds and allows us to still get all warm and fuzzy. We make God out to be a very "Americanized", version of who He really is. The fact is though that while Gods character is equivocally without doubt, love, grace, mercy and justice, it is not in any shape, form or fashion even close to being fair, at least not as we see fair. You can still be loving without being fair. You can still be love and serve justice, without being fair. If there are 4 kids on the baseball field, 2 who can really play and 2 that can not even catch a ball or run very fast. Lets say we put choose all 4 kids to play on our team no matter what their talent. While it might be fair to the 2 kids who cant play, just to make them feel good to be on the team, its not really justice because as a coach part of my job is to develope and manage a winning team. I havent served justice to my team sponsor, other kids, or parents by placing bad players on our team just so I can be fair. It would even be true to say that I averted justice by putting the kids who can not catch well at all by placing them in the outfield, only to be fair and allow "everybody" a turn. If the object is to win, and in most games it is, then I will play the best players at the best times in order to score runs and accomplish the win. When we come to the conclusion that God is not always fair, it will help us deepen our love and appreciation for who He is in our lives and all He has done for us. I don't know all of the whys behind God's choices, but I do know His motives are pure and that He has my best interest at heart. Accepting the idea that God is not fair will also cause us to worship Him more passionately! You ask, "Daniel how in the world would deciding that God really isn't fair make me want to stand up, shout and raise my hands to somebody who doesn't value fairness?" Take this into consideration... The fact that you are able to have access to the Internet, have obtained enough education to read this post and that I have written it in a free society where I am afforded the right to free speech, tells me that you and I have been shown much much more grace by God than we would ever deserve! Knowing this truth should kindle a deep fire inside of us that crys out to God just to say THANK YOU LORD! We have been allowed to hear the gospel, worship in comfortable church buildings, read a well printed, leather bound copy of the word of God. If God were really fair, and had given me what I deserved, I would have never heard the gospel more than once, and really not even once! If God were really fair, I would have been born with far less belongings, in the middle of a jungle somewhere never knowing what friendship or family meant, but that was not the plan! To God be the glory, that He blessed me to have the life I have lived and have been able to hear the gospel, accept Christ, and live out my faith! We should worship Him for not only the simple things such as breath and blessings but for allowing us, to be His child, serving Him and giving us the chance to serve Him and others! Is God fair? I don't think so, but it does not mean that He loves us less or wants to mis-treat us. Because God will always do what is right, and I can trust Him with everything I have in this life and all that will be, in the life to come! While God may not be fair as I see fairness, I do know that He is faithul and will always love and lead me for His glory and my good!