More Than you Can Bear Is It Fair?

More Than you Can Bear

Is It Fair?

We learn early in life that life is not fair

Children at a very young age evaluate life by what is fair and unfair

“Why does Johnny get the red bike?”

When the question “Why?” is asked, it is because we question fairness

We question our parents, our family, our friends, our employers,

Our government, life and even God

All based on our perspective of what is “Fair”

We all come to realize life is not fair

When we focus on fairness, life can become more than we can bear

We can blame God because He is not fair

God is generous, merciful and forgiving

When life is not fair we should not focus on what we don’t have

But what we do have

We have a God who wants to be with us

So draw near to God and He will draw near to you

The veil to the Holies of Holies was torn

So by His grace we might enter into His presence

That is not fair that is love and grace, hope and comfort 

Is It Fair?
 

IT’S NOT FAIR!!!

We learn early in life that life is not fair.

Children at a very young age

evaluate life by what is fair and unfair…

“Why does Johnny get the red bike?”

‘Why does Mary get to go?”

When the question “Why?” is asked

 it is because we question fairness.

We question our parents, our family, our friends,

our employers, our government, life and even God…

All based on our perspective of what is “fair”.

We all come to realize life is not fair.

My neighbor sees everything

that goes on in the neighborhood.

He is a caring man who is quick

to lend a hand and also to protect.

I am blessed to have him as my neighbor.

When I was building my house, he knew

what was going on even when I was not there.

On several occasions, he would say to me…

“Bill, if you did not have bad luck

you would have no luck at all.”

Because I don’t believe in luck, but in God’s

blessings and provisions, those words bothered me.

God is a good God.

All the promises of God are ‘yes and amen’.

So God… “Why do I get bad luck?”

When life seems to be unfair, we begin to question

Everything, even everything we believe about God.

 When we question God’s fairness

to us, we feel insecure and guilty.

So is God fair?

Jesus tells us an interesting story in

Matthew 20 about the 12 hour work day.

Most of us have a mindset of an 8

hour day and 40 hours a week.

Even those who work 12 hour shifts

usually work around 40 hours a week

and if over 40 hours, there is overtime pay.

I think we forget that before unions,

 12 hour days, 6 days a week were normal.

Jesus said a man hired laborers to work in his fields.

Those he hired in the morning were

promised a denarius for a day’s work.

Three hours later, he hired more

workers for a wages of what is right.

6 hours later he hired more workers.

9 hours later he hired more workers.

And in the 11^th hour hired more workers.

Now when the owner had the workers paid…

 The last, those who only worked 1 hour,
 received 1 denarius as well as every other worker.

If you have ever worked by the hour,

you know why the workers who were

hired in the morning grumbled and listed

all the reasons their pay was unfair.

They felt the land owner was unfair.

Listen to Jesus’ response…

  

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you.

Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go.

 I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.

 Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money?

Or are you envious because I am generous?'

Matthew 20:13-15

Jesus does not say He or the land owner is fair.

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness there of,

and the Lord has the right to do what He wants with it.

If God wants to be generous why are we envious?

God is not fair, He is just.

God does not give every child the same amount of candy.

I think we all forget…

We all have sin and fall short of the glory of God.

The wages of sin is still death.

When God says…

 I came that you might have life

and have it more abundantly.

We need not forget any life is a gift.

  

It is true…

 “Give and it shall be given to you, good

measure pressed down and shaken together”.

But God “works” are not the measure of pay.

The measure of pay is grace.

For is it by grace you are saved not of works.

“Grace” God’s “favor”.

God is good, caring, and presence.

God is more concerned in being

with you than what He does for you.

Our calling is to be with God as the scriptures say…

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”

James 4:8

  Our sin and the sin of the world has

caused us all to labor hard because of the curse,

the ground is hard, the sweat runs down our face,

and the dust we came from is where we will return.

Genesis 3:16-19

God is just, sin must be held accountable.

But Jesus made a way,

He paid the price we could not pay.

The way He made is a way into His presence.

The veil into the Holy of Holies was torn

so we might enter into His presence.

God wants you to know Him.

When life is not fair, God wants to be with you.

When I look back at the 47 years of marriage to Sandy,

 the ones that are most memorable are

the times we suffered the greatest pain.

Those times brought us together.

 The good times we share are wonderful, but the

times when life was not fair welded us together.

The only way you and I can escape justice

is through the door of God’s grace.

God is not fair, He wants to give

 you what you do not desire…

That is Himself.

When life is unfair…

 It is a time God wants to draw you near to Himself.

To know the Giver not just the gift.

To truly know Him is to know grace, His favor.

Some days you will get up early to go to

work and sweat through the heat of day…

  And some days you put in 1 hour.

It is not the pay you receive, it

is the generosity, the grace of God.

Don’t let the unfairness of life

become more than you can bear.

It is not what you have…

 But Who you have.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 10:11-13

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.