Word Series: Fairness

There is a common saying we have in church lingo that says, “Favor is not Fair.” But since we believe favor is something comes from the Lord, we must challenge that statement because if we say that favor is not fair, we are indicting the Lord. We are insinuating that He is not just and does not deal with us fairly.

Psalm 62:12 states that the Lord “recompenses us for our deeds.” The Bible also states that “the Lord reigns on the just as well as the unjust.” So how can we say He doesn’t deal with people fairly? I believe that our dilemma is that we judge fairness according to our standards. The Lord does not use the same measurement. He decides what is fair since He created us and created fairness itself. Who are we to challenge Him on what is fair and what isn’t?

Fairness is defined as impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination. If there was one person who could prejudge us – since He knows everything we are going to do before we do it – it’s the Lord. But He loves us and always gives us the opportunity to do right or get it right.

I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic this year to revisit a Center for at risk girls I visited last year. There I met some beautiful young ladies between the ages of 7-15 who have been victims of sex trafficking and prostitution. When I looked into the faces of those young girls and heard their stories, it made me want to scream! It was unfair for them to suffer in the manner they have at their young ages. And I questioned why these girls in particular (as opposed to other young ladies I know in the United States) had to endure those types of hardships.

But who am I to say what is fair? Who am I to choose who should go through which hardships? When the Lord created mankind, He never meant for us to experience these types of hardships. The choices of man has led us into some of these horrible circumstances. The Bible states that the Lord does not tempt man to sin. Rather, mankind is drawn away by his or her own desires (James 1:13-14). Thanks be to God who has given us the opportunity to get it right through His son Jesus. The Lord was fair with us and admonishes us to demonstrate fairness to others according to His standard. It is the Lord who has renewed the hearts and minds of people who are now there to rescue these girls and give them a new lease on life and hope for a future. Only a fair God could give them and us a chance to redeem our lives.

Let us continue to pray for these young victims. We pray that the Lord would changes the hearts and minds of their perpetrators. Let us also pray for those who are in the trenches everyday working to rescue these young victims to give them hope and an opportunity to develop a new way of living that they may one day gain eternal life.