Life Is So Unfair –
Thanks be to God! .
by Tom
Caballes
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who
heals all your diseases, who redeems
your life from the pit, who crowns you
with steadfast love and mercy, who
satisfies you with good so that your
youth is renewed like the eagle's"
- Psalms 103:2-5 ESV
Many of us complain that life
is not fair. We, at times, get the short end
of the stick. And we complain. But in reality,
because of our sins, we all deserve judgment
in the eyes of God. We reap what we sow in sin
– and so we suffer. No one is “good” – good
enough to come to God’s presence, as sin and
God cannot mix, like oil and water. If God was
just and fair without being merciful, we
should all rightfully deserve judgment and
hell. But out of God’s love for us, He sent
Jesus to pay for our sins to redeem us from
the consequences of our sins - death. Jesus
paid with His blood the price for our
salvation. We all deserve hell, but our
destiny is heaven instead. We were no people
before; now we are God’s chosen race, a holy
nation, and a royal priesthood. [1 Peter
2:9-10] Thanks be to God, life is not fair –
that life is full of His sublime love and
overflowing grace!
So How Do We
Live Our Lives in Gratitude to
God’s Extravagant Love &
Grace?
- See
what kind of love the Father has given to
us, that we should be called children of
God; and so we are. (1 John 3:1A ESV)
We are now God’s sons and daughters. This
our primary identity. Know who we are and
what we have come from God’s lavish grace.
We owe our very existence to God, and so God
deserves all our lives big and small, to
Him. Life is not primarily about fairness
and justice – it’s about God’s grace.
- Know
that in life, there will be good times, and
there would be bad times even if you are a
Christian. Nothing will be perfect in life
on this side of eternity. There are times we
need to address genuine grievances. Balance
your mindset based on the truth and not
focus on your emotions or circumstances.
- Challenges
and trials test what we are made of inside.
It tests our values and priorities in life.
Pass the test! Learn to endure hardship.
Life is not about being comfortable and
convenience.
- Appreciate
how blessed you are. You are an overcomer
and a victor once you said yes to Jesus. Do
not give in to fear or despair. God is with
you wherever you go. Count your small and
big blessings daily.
- Be
a victor and a conqueror in life. What then
shall we say to these things? If God is
for us, who can be against us? He who did
not spare his own Son but gave him up for
us all, how will he not also with him
graciously give us all things? (Romans
8:31-32 ESV) No, in all these things we
are more than conquerors through him who
loved us. (Romans 8:37 ESV) With God,
you can overcome any challenge in life.
- We
should avoid the habit of complaining about
life being unfair. Yes, there would be times
we feel life has short-changed us, but
overall, we are still on the winning side
because God is on our side. Rejoice instead
of complaining. Genuinely be happy for
people success rather than envy them.
- Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away; behold,
the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17
ESV) Complaining belongs to the old way of
living. We are now God’s new creation, and
we should live in the new way of living.
Leave behind your complaining baggage and
walk free! Life is so much happier without
carrying the heavy load of
complaining.
Other Scripture passages:
- Give
thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for
his steadfast love endures forever.
(Psalms 136:1 ESV)
- Rejoice
always, pray without ceasing, give thanks
in all circumstances; for this is the will
of God in Christ
Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
ESV)
- Let
no corrupting talk come out of your
mouths, but only such as is good for
building up, as fits the
occasion, that it may give grace to those
who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)
- Other
Scripture Passages: Philippians 2:14-16;
James 5:9; 1 Corinthians 10:10; and 1
Thessalonians 5:18
For
personal reflection or
group sharing
- How
often do you complain instead of giving
thanks to God?
- How
have you progressed in rooting out constant
complaining to God and others in your life?
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Tom
Caballes is the
National Senior
Administrator and a
National Coordinator
of the Lamb
of God, a
community of the
Sword of the Spirit
with 7 branches
located throughout
New Zealand. Tom
also leads Kairos
New
Zealand, an
outreach program for
high school,
university, and
post-university aged
people.
Tom and
his wife Mhel and
their two
daughters live in
Wellington, New
Zealand.
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top illustration
(c) by Kevin Carden
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