3 Simple words that have a major impact on our lives.
“Everyone knows life isn’t fair. Saying “it’s not fair” suggests that you think life is supposed to be fair to you and not others. It’s a sign of immaturity, Self-centered; it’s all about me.
Ecclesiastes 9:11 (ERV) – I also saw other things in this life that were not fair. The fastest runner does not always win the race; the strongest soldier does not always win the battle; wise people don’t always get the food; smart people don’t always get the wealth; educated people don’t always get the praise they deserve. When the time comes, bad things can happen to anyone!
How often have we all spoken the phrase: “It’s not fair”?
Question is: Are we so used to hearing it that we fail to realize how damaging the self-important point of view of discontentment can be?
Walking around a shopping centre and seeing little children in a Toy store or in a Candy store. We often witness their excessive display of pride, discontent and distress when the parent denies them something they want. They start screaming “It’s not fair”
It’s kind of accepted and we think “Well that’s just normal it’s how kids are these days”
As grownups we develop even more effective ways of expressing our displeasure. Particularly when perceived unjust treatments are done.
Teenagers may not kick and scream like their younger siblings… But… they have their own persuasive ways of making a parent, teacher or a leader feel guilty for some perceived unfair treatment.
By adulthood after many years of experiencing injustice (actual or perceived) most of us have perfected the “Art” of displaying our displeasure to the world…
Just read “Facebook” or Twitter…
In fact our kids have learned to exhibit their resentment from us.
Right from the Garden of Eden – Adam and Eve apparently thought God was unfairly keeping them from partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Genesis 3:1-6 (LB) – The serpent was the craftiest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. So the serpent came to the woman. “Really?” he asked. “None of the fruit in the garden? God says you mustn’t eat any of it?” 2-3 “Of course we may eat it,” the woman told him. “It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not to eat. God says we mustn’t eat it or even touch it, or we will die. ”4 “That’s a lie!” the serpent hissed. “You’ll not die! 5 God knows very well that the instant you eat it you will become like him, for your eyes will be opened—you will be able to distinguish good from evil!” 6 The woman was convinced. How lovely and fresh looking it was! And it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit and gave some to her husband, and he ate it too.
We read about Elijah’s discontent:
1 Kings 19:1-4 (NIV) – Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die, “I have had enough Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
Consider the actions of Jonah
Jonah 1:2 (NIV) – “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
Jonah displayed discontent and pride when God showed mercy to Nineveh. (The fish spits Jonah out)
Jonah 3:10 (NIV) – When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 4:1 (LB) – This change of plans made Jonah very angry
Just like Elijah, Jonah asked God to take his life.
Jonah 4:3 (LB) – “Please kill me, Lord; I’d rather be dead than alive when nothing that I told them happens.[a]”
Jonah 4:6-9 (LB) – 6 And when the leaves of the shelter withered in the heat, the Lord arranged for a vine to grow up quickly and spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head to shade him. This made him comfortable and very grateful. 7 But God also prepared a worm! The next morning the worm ate through the stem of the plant, so that it withered away and died. 8 Then when the sun was hot, God ordered a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah, and the sun beat down upon his head until he grew faint and wished to die. For he said, “Death is better than this!” 9 And God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?” “Yes,” Jonah said, “it is; it is right for me to be angry enough to die!”
Throughout the ages, nothing has changed as people still have the “It’s Not Fair” discontent attitude.
We can find a correlation between this and all crime in our time.
Murder, theft and violence take place on a daily basis and much of this occurs because… the guilty party has thought the circumstances of his life that led to this action was unfair…
People from all walks of life can fall victim to this common disease of discontentment.
Jobs example: If there ever was a man that could use the phrase “It’s not fair” it was Job. He was a blameless upright man.
Job 1:1-3 (LB) – There lived in the land of Uz a man named Job—a good[a] man who feared God and stayed away from evil. 2-3 He had a large family of seven sons and three daughters and was immensely wealthy,[b] for he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and employed many servants. He was, in fact, the richest cattleman in that entire area.
Even living a blameless God fearing life Job lost it all.
Job 1:13-22 (LB) – 12-13And the Lord replied to Satan, “You may do anything you like with his wealth, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan went away; and sure enough, not long afterwards when Job’s sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother’s house, tragedy struck. 14-15A messenger rushed to Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us, drove away the animals, and killed all the farmhands except me. I am the only one left.” 16While this messenger was still speaking, another arrived with more bad news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the herdsmen, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17Before this man finished, still another messenger rushed in: “Three bands of Chaldeans have driven off your camels and killed your servants, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18As he was still speaking, another arrived to say, “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home, 19when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and engulfed the house so that the roof fell in on them and all are dead; and I alone escaped to tell you.” 20Then Job stood up and tore his robe in grief and feel down upon the ground before God. 21”I came naked from my mother’s womb,” he said, “and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” 22In all of this Job did not sin or revile God. Just listen to someone who is focused on doing God’s will in his life.
Just listen to someone who is focused on doing God’s will in his life.
Job 2:9-10 (Amp) – 9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still cling to your integrity [and your faith and trust in God, without blaming Him]? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the [spiritually] foolish women speaks [ignorant and oblivious to God’s will]. Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.
The Bible warns us about the “It’s not fair” attitude:
Hebrews 12:15 (LB) – 5 Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives.
Satan knows if he can feed our minds with such arrogant discontent, we will see ourselves as victims.
Philippians 4:13 (LB) – for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.
Because of Christ we can accomplish contentment no matter what circumstances a day may bring into our lives.
Discontentment (It’s not fair) is mistrusting God, it’s the opposite of Faith.
Discontentment amounts to complaining against God’s plans (It’s because you think your plans are better than God’s)
Discontentment covets (longs for something that God is not pleased to give you.)
Romans 8:28 (LB) – And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.
Discontentment denies the wisdom of God and exalts my wisdom.
Philippians 1:20 (Amp) – It is my own eager expectation and hope, that [looking toward the future] I will not disgrace* myself nor be ashamed in anything, but that with courage and the utmost freedom of speech, even now as always, Christ will be magnified and exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
*Skande
