That’s Just Not Fair
Because I said so. Why does that phrase drive us crazy? It’s been uttered by nearly everyone who’s ever been a parent and yet, still, it makes very little sense – until we dig deeper.
It’s not fair! I deserve to be heard! My opinion is just as important as yours! Isn’t that ‘fair’? And isn’t fairness the most important thing? Well, maybe, maybe not.
Should the scales always be balanced? Does everyone deserve an equal vote? Should every opinion count? Is that always the best way? Is that truly ‘fair’? Everybody deserves a seat on the rollercoaster right?
How about in sports, should one team give some points to the opposition or ease up on their own ability to score in order to be fair to the competition? Should those earning a higher GPA donate some of their grade point to the ones who are struggling or even those not trying as hard? If two companies are busy drilling for oil on the same piece of land, and one strikes pay dirt first, should both share the proceeds equally? That would be fair, right?
Often times we use the words “fair” and “right” interchangeably, but they are not the same. There’s a difference between fairness and justice. If everyone earned the same GPA, if every game ended in a tie, if everyone in a company earned the same amount, the
scales would be perfectly balanced, but the world would be completely different. We need the reward that comes from hard work. We need to earn what we achieve, feel like what we do is important. This is precisely why we appreciate the things we earn so much more than the things that are simply given to us.
That also means that we recognize that fairness has its place and should be recognized – just not at the expense of effort, truth and accomplishment.
God gives us great perspective in Matthew 20: 1-‐16: the parable of the workers in the field. A landowner went out and hired workers to help in His field throughout the day – some were hired in the morning, some in the afternoon and some right before sundown, just as the workday was ending. Then the boss did something radical – he lined up all of the workers and paid everyone the same amount.
What?? That doesn’t sound fair, does it? Or maybe, after reading it – it sounds unfairly fair. But – here’s the thing – God tells us that, since it’s His money and His field, He gets to set the wage. He never promised or agreed to pay the ones He hired earliest more than everyone else. He shows us that justice – His justice – is much more important than our idea of fairness. Why? Because God not only said so, but showed us the wisdom and generosity of doing so.
And when you look at His reasoning, it makes perfect sense.
With God, you may have heard him call out for workers early on, but you ignored Him. Later on, when you heard the same call, you responded. To God, it’s more important THAT you respond than WHEN you respond. His payment is the same for everyone (thank goodness).
Let’s take fairness to the extreme. Is it fair that I was born in a free nation that gives me every opportunity to succeed but some are born into a third-‐world country, maybe even slavery, with practically no hope for success? Is it fair that some people are born with Downs Syndrome? Is it fair that I didn’t win the lottery, even though I bought more tickets than the eventual winner?
Thank goodness God places justice above fairness. God doesn’t play favorites. Instead, He rewards our effort and loves our willingness to do what’s right. He loves us all the same. You see how that works?
When we use “fairness” it’s usually in a very selfish way. We want what others have. Maybe we don’t want to work as hard for it. But that’s not fairness, that’s entitlement. To be truly fair, we need to look at all the variables. Only then can we determine what’s truly right. Fair enough? Now go have a great day! Love dad
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