Fair and Faithful
Playground supervision – definitely not one of my favourite teaching tasks. While I love being outdoors with students and watching their games and playful activities, it can be draining as inevitably there are squabbles between students that require me to intervene.
Frequently children accuse others of not playing fair. They are quick to point fingers at others who are not following the rules or playing in an honourable way. Trying to sort out who did what is usually a challenging task, especially if I didn’t personally observe the altercation.
Kids, in general, talk lots about fairness. Just try dividing up treats between a few of them. They are quick to assert themselves if they feel someone else has even a tiny tidbit more than they do.
Or, children protest the fairness of certain activities – like cleaning up messes. I have heard numerous comments asking why they have to do certain things or do them in a particular way. Young ones are quick to compare workloads and offer their opinions about why they have to do certain things when others do not.
We adults are not much different. How often do we compare ourselves or our situation with that of others? It is very easy to look at what someone else has and protest that it isn’t fair – We work as hard or harder than them, why do they have so much? We have tried to be honourable in our business dealings or relationships and yet we don’t have what others do…etc.
Lately, the whole playing fair concept has imploded in my thoughts. Why do others have jobs when I am facing job loss? I work hard. I am good at what at what I do. It is very easy to say to God – “It’s not fair, why do I have to be the one without…”
Just as I have told my students and my own children on many occasions, God reminds us that He never has promised that life will be fair. The only thing equal in all humanity is that we “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 NIV)
While God doesn’t guarantee fairness, He does promise to be faithful – and He is! It does not matter what we do or say, God loves us all the same. He has provided the same opportunity for salvation for each of us – “All are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:24 NIV)
When I get into mood of – poor me life isn’t fair – I need to remind myself that God is ever present and always faithful. I have the assurance of eternal life in heaven with Him because I believe that Jesus is His Son and that He died and rose again for my salvation.
No, I will never understand the inequities of this world. There doesn’t seem to be logic, for example, as to why some are born into poverty and others into wealth. Yet I have the assurance that our loving God has placed us exactly where we belong – where we can make a difference in the lives of others with the power that only God provides.
When we are tempted to get into those “it’s not fair” moods, we need to shake ourselves up and remind ourselves that we are precious in God’s sight and that He has a perfect plan for each of us. On days when hope grows dimmer because the cares of the world envelope us, we can hold onto these words from Hebrews:
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” (verse 23 NIV)
Stay the course, keep on the path of righteousness, trust in our God who does what He says He will do.
