Not Fair
READ: Malachi 3:14-18
Do you ever fall into the temptation of saying, “God is being unfair?” Maybe it’s because your neighbors never go to church, but they have every luxury in the world. Or, maybe it’s because you’ve recently lost a loved one. Whether it’s because God seems to be blessing the wicked more than His faithful, or someone just keeps getting away with sinful living; we’ve all said at one time or another, “God’s not being fair.”
Well, you’re right, God isn’t fair. That’s what we base our faith on—God’s unfairness. Not the unfairness described in the paragraph above, but God’s unfair love for us—GRACE. Grace is the love God has for us. We’ve never done anything for it, but it’s there every day. It’s given freely to every sinner. An "eye for an eye" is fair, and if that were how God dealt with us, we would all face the eternal fires of hell. Yet, even though we continually sin against God, mock Him, and put His name to shame, God’s grace is here for us now and when we die.
As encouragement, God says that there will be another distinction made between the wicked and the righteous: not wealth or health here on earth, but the heaven and hell after this earth.
So, next time you’re driving down the street in your beat-up old car, and you see your neighbor in his prestine Classic car, think beyond what you see now in life to your life in heaven for eternity through faith. Then thank God for not being fair.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: What things might you do to avoid becoming jealous of someone else? What would you put in a list of your blessings?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Consider God’s blessings to you (faith, Christian friends, your Savior). Pray for strength to resist the temptations of the devil (greed, envy, jealousy).