Fair – God's character from A to Z

“No fair!”

How many times has each of us complained that way, claiming we’ve been shortchanged in some way?  Maybe someone else got a bigger portion or a better deal. So we raise a ruckus.

And we do the same thing with God. It’s as if we think we are entitled to extra credit somehow. We’re like the hired workers in Jesus’ parable (see Matthew 20:1-16), who worked all day and then complained that they received the same pay as those who joined the crew at the very end.

“It’s not fair,” we cry.

It’s like we’re sort of satisfied with the lot we have, but only until we notice that someone else’s lot seems a whole lot nicer or grander or easier. Then we begin to think we merit more.

Have we forgotten what we really deserve?

The Bible says we all deserve God’s wrath. (See Romans 3:23 and Romans 6:23.) The fact that we do receive anything better than that (and we do) points directly to God’s own grace and mercy.

God is fair. He is infinitely more than fair.

In fact, it’s fair to say that God is fair, whether we agree with His decisions or not. (It's not up to us anyway, is it? Our evaluation of God's fairness does not affect His intrinsic fairness at all.)

“For the Lord is righteous. He loves justice: the upright will see His face.” (Psalm 11:7, NIV)

God is righteous and just. What about us? Who is actually upright, unless the Lord picks him or her up? Who can look up to see God, unless God reaches down and picks up his or her face?

The Lord is fair, fairest of all by far. And if we actually caught even a glimpse of His glorious face, our complaints of apparent unfairness would likely flee.

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