Life’s Not Fair
written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Do not rob the poor, because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate, for the Lord will plead their cause and rob of life those who rob them. ”
As a pastor, I have the privilege to be invited into the lives of many families throughout my ministry. I’ve celebrated many births, baptisms, weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries. Likewise, I’ve grieved the death of infants, small children, adolescents, and others at all stages of life. I’ve held hands with those suffering from any number of serious illnesses. I’ve even sat in courtrooms with church friends who have been wronged by individuals who acted most wickedly. Life’s unfairness has often left me despairing.
If you believe that life isn’t fair, you are not alone. I struggle with the unfairness of this world. I don’t blame God because God didn’t make it this way. We did. We humans use our free will to corrupt this world, creating lives that are not fair. Our world became twisted almost unrecognizably.
The only thing in this world that is fair is that it is unfair to all of us. No matter how caring or cruel, each one of us will experience unfairness more than once in our lives. Part of what makes the unfairness sting is that while we are going through it, we often assume others are above it. What helps alleviate some of the sting is the reality that we are all victims of unfairness.
Today, step back from your life long enough to reflect on the bitterness you feel due to the unfairness you had to endure. Ask God to scrub your soul clean of the bitterness that was infecting your soul. You are not alone in unfairness. The difference between generally happy people and those who live in resentment is how we deal with life’s unfairness. Let unfairness roll off you so you can move forward in faith. Don’t let life’s unfairness corrode God’s call for your life.
