Life Isn't Fair!

Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

John 1:16
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!"

We’ve all heard it, haven’t we? We've probably even said it ourselves a time or two. We always try to make things "fair" ourselves - cutting the cookie in two halves that have to be of equal size (or have the same number of chocolate chips), or trying to spend the exact same amount of money on each person for Christmas. Whatever it is, however we go about it, we do our very best to make life fair, but the truth is, life isn’t fair.

I have a very dear friend back home who has been trying with her husband to get pregnant for over two years now, to no avail. In speaking to God, I often ask why this couple, who would make amazing parents, cannot have children, when He is blessing other people with children left and right. He gives children to parents that He knows will be abusive, or will not care for the child, neglecting it terribly. Yet, my friend and her husband have not a single child. It breaks my heart every time I think about it. It is yet another reminder that life isn’t fair.

But, you know, it helps me remember that grace isn’t fair either - that’s really the point of grace. If grace was "fair," it wouldn’t be grace would it? I deserve far less than what God blesses me with. I do not deserve to even be sitting here, sharing my thoughts with you, and experiencing the blessing of God working in and through me. This is not a privilege I deserve. I deserve hell, and no more. Yet God, in His sovereignty, love, and all else that He is, chose to pour His grace out upon me in such thick abundance that here I am. I am not the mess I should be, but rather a glorious example of what God can do in a life.

Grace isn’t fair - it is undeserved, unmerited favor - the loving gift of a God who loves us too much to be fair. Oh, He’s just - that is why it cost the blood of our precious Savior to be able pour out this grace - but He isn’t fair. And I am one who can say that I am so thankful that He isn’t!

So, the next time someone proclaims to you, "Life isn’t fair!" take that opportunity to say, "You’re right, it isn’t, and neither is grace . . ." And the next time we feel slighted by life, let’s just take a moment to lift our eyes heavenward to whisper a word of thanks to the God that blesses this unfair life with unfair favor.