That’s Not Fair!
Every one of us has uttered those words at some time. “That’s not fair!” You may have only thought it, maybe because you knew a parental response would be quick and decisive.
What we dwell on, what we think about a lot, becomes our reality.
In that reality everything can be shaped to agree with the belief in ‘unfairness’ being directed at me.
As I cherish the ‘not fair’ outlook, my thinking, my ability to interpret reality, warps to my personal definition of ‘unfair’. Life becomes unfair. To me.
In this personal reality, someone has to be blamed. It certainly cannot be my imagination or my fault.
That person or group who is deemed to be at fault – the ‘object of discrimination’ - becomes my enemy.
It is in our nature to dislike our enemies. They can’t be trusted.
Dislike, distrust, becomes anger.
Anger becomes hostility.
Anything and everything the enemy believes, says, and stands for is rejected.
The mind begins to look for ways to pay back – to get revenge. And soon hate is real. Societal restraints may prevent actual bodily harm being done to the enemy, but in my mind, death is the only fair conclusion.
Bitterness
When hate is cultivated in my mind, I become bitter.
The Bible talks about bitterness. Hebrews 12:15 is counsel to the Church that bitterness will result in sin.
In Acts 8:23 Paul admonished Simon the Sorcerer “I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Bitterness leads to sin.
Deuteronomy 29. In the context of the Covenant between God and His people, Moses urged Israel to refuse bitterness, which is labeled a poison, resulting in separation from the Chosen People and death.
In daily life practical terms, feelings and belief of being treated unfairly cause a physical change in your body. Chemicals in the mind and your body feed on the bitterness, - disease and disability are the results.
No doubt – life is unfair.
But the originator of that fact is NOT God!
Pointing out the fact of unfair is one of Satan’s snares.
Eve believed Satan’s words and insinuation. “Has God kept this from you? He knows that once you eat this fruit you will become like Him, and He doesn’t want that for you. He is unfair.” And Eve bit into the forbidden fruit.
Now our very heredity instills in us an aversion to ‘unfair’.
Antidote
God provides The Remedy for our unfair life experiences!
The Antidote.
The Antidote that prevents bitterness from taking root and growing.
The Antidote that reverses our bitterness and heals our troubled minds.
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always! And again, I say, Rejoice!”
No matter life’s unfairness. Rejoice!
Our Natural Selves
Yet, Rejoice is counter to our sinful natures.
Do it anyway.
God uses the simple things to confound the mighty.
Hannah, mother of Samuel, gives us an example of what to do with bitterness. In 1 Samuel 1, we read that Hannah had “bitterness of soul.” God had shut up her womb. A terrible sentence for any woman to bear.
How did she respond?
She went to church and prayed.
She said to Eli, “I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit… Out of the abundance of my complaint and provocation have I spoken (prayed).”
She gave her bitterness to God.
And Eli spoke the promise to her, “… the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him.”
The result of prayer and words from her pastor? “...her countenance was no more sad.”
Rejoice. Especially when you don’t feel like it.
Rejoicing will become a habit.
A habit becomes part of our character.
Characters fit for heavenly music and heavenly living!
Start today!
Rejoice!
Rejoice that God tickled your limbic system and awakened you this morning.
Rejoice in the melodies of the bird-songs.
Rejoice with the blooms that remind us of God’s creative power and love of beauty.
He has given us abundant evidence of His love and care.
Rejoice!
And again, I say, Rejoice.
Respond
Comments and reactions are appreciated.
