Fair vs Just

Why is it that life seems so unfair at times? Have you ever noticed how some people move through life with very little resistance while others can't seem to catch a break for anything? I know a few people who just seem to get hit over and over again. Just when things start to seem ok, something else happens.

One of these people is very dear to me and my heart aches for her every time something new happens. She tries very hard to have a positive attitude and to rely on the God that she knows cares for her and is working on her behalf, but sometimes it gets hard for her to handle it all. She had another one of those things happen today....it has been tough on her.

Although I know she has never said "this is not fair", others who know her have said those words for her. In the beginning I was inclined to agree, mostly out of raw, human emotion. But then the Lord helped me remember that His word never describes Him as "fair", but instead describes Him as "just". I believe there is a difference.

Fairness gives evil for evil and plays favorites to those who are favorable. It is tit for tat. It's definition changes from person to person because fairness is always driven by an individual's own perceptions of what is right and equal. Because of this, we often mess up "fairness" because we get our own agendas involved.

Being "just" is a different story. Justice can only be handled by God because it is based on HIS righteousness, not our perception of right. It is based on HIS view of the big picture, not our view of the immediate circumstances that plague us.

If God had been FAIR to us, we would have all been consumed long ago and all of our eternities would be sealed in a devil's hell. BUT PRAISE GOD THAT HE IS NOT FAIR!! Instead, He is compassionate and JUST! His wisdom goes far beyond what we can comprehend so He is able to see beyond the present into eternity to see how all of these "unfair circumstances" will pan out in the end. HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING!

Now, I don't claim that it is always easy and I don't claim that everything that comes our way should make us say "yippee!", but I am sayind that we need to remember that "fair" is a human word. God is in the business of justice!