Hmmmmm! Now where have I heard that before! Oh yes, I heard it last week from a class mate who flunked out in Pre-calc. I heard it this week from a friend who just got bankrupted. And I heard it yesterday from a girl who couldn’t afford to buy herself another make-up box (it’s probably her 100th box in a month!) and guess what? I heard the four-words coming out from my mouth when my dad grounded me last week!
A typical response to punishment and failures: Life is not fair!
I read about a guy recently (in a very famous Book) who lost everything starting from his children (all 10 of them), cattle, sheep, riches and his health. And what’s more, he lost it all in one day. Do you think he said the 4 words? No. He simply made his misery known to God.
And flippin’ through the pages of this Book, I read another wise saying from a wise king who’s got everything life has to offer and yet he tells us that he is tired of it. Here’s what he said:”I’ve observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, the skilful aren’t necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It’s all declared by being in the right place at the right time.” Now these are simple but amazing facts of life.
And wait! Let me tell you another story I read from this Book. This was the one that changed my life forever. It’s about how a man chose to take my place of punishment. He turned the lives of many people down side up when He walked on earth 2000 years ago and He still rocks the planet! It all happened at Calvary, after the soldiers had “fun” torturing Him. When He was in the middle of life and death, they crucified Him. He looked down with eyes filled with love. And guess what he said? He didn’t say the 4 words. Instead He said the 3 words: “Father, Forgive them!” Unconditional love. He was killed by the ones He came to save. He took my sins upon Himself. He died for my sins. Now that is so not fair! Why on earth would He wanna do that? The answer is simple but hard to comprehend – Love.
Next time you say the 4 words - Life is not fair! – remember this man who gave up His life so that we might be reconciled with the Father.
Besides, no one said Life was fair. As a matter of fact, the “famous Book” – Bible – guarantees us that while we are on earth, we’ll have to go through some hard times. So you might as well give up the 4 words and get on with your life with perseverance! But the Bible also says that “He’ll not let us be tested more than what we are able to bear” and that He “doesn’t look away from the silver being refined in the fire.”
We often want God to do His work our way, and this simply will never happen. Let us abandon our own expectations and accept God's terms for fairness.
And by the way, the man I told you about rose from the grave on the 3rd day and is now sited on the right hand side of the Father in heaven and he’ll come again – soon!
God Bless!
For the Harvest!
Hiyab *
Hiyab Hiruy
