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Saturday, October 15, 2011

When Life Isn't Fair

“Don’t I have the right to gripe?  Can’t I complain just a little?  I mean, after all, I deserve better, don’t I?  I work just as hard as the next guy.  Why do I have to plaster a fake smile on my face and act like everything is okay?  Maybe I would like for something to go right in my life for a change.”  I heard these words from a person in line at the grocery store.  She was talking on her cell phone.  I don’t know who she was talking to.  I just know that she was very indignant over the injustices of her life.

I have to admit, I’ve been there before.  There have been days when I’ve questioned the fairness and the equity of life.  As Americans, we’ve become brainwashed into thinking that we deserve everything and if we don’t have what we want, then somebody has cheated us out of it.  The plain fact is we don’t deserve anything.  I know that this is going to rub some of my readers the wrong way, but it’s the truth, as I see it.  Our western culture has now raised an entire generation who believe that life is all about entitlements.  We’ve come a far cry from life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

When I was growing up, I remember my dad saying, “Life isn’t fair.”  I used to get so angry when he'd say that.  If you live right and work hard, life should be fair.  But the Scriptures tell us that “the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike.”  There is a story in Matthew 20:1-16 about some workers in a field who had toiled all day and others who came towards the end of the day.  They were all paid the same amount of money.  The workers who had started early in the day felt cheated and that it wasn’t fair for the late comers to be paid the same amount.  But they had made an agreement with the landowner for how much they would be paid.  He didn’t say that he would pay any who came later, less wages.

So, what do we deserve?  There are so many around the world who don’t even have human dignity, food or a roof over their head.  There are innocents who have suffered at the hands of abusers who we will never hear about or know of.  When I think of them, I know that I have riches and blessings beyond measure.  As believers, we serve a God who served us.  He gave all for us.  We are worth Jesus, to Him. 

In Christ, our lives should be the opposite of what our culture and society tells us it should be.  If you want to see Jesus, go to where the hurting and the broken are.  That’s where you’ll find Him.  The Church is supposed to be a servant.  We are called to take care of the widows and the orphans and the sick and the lame.  The government is not called to do this.  They are called to provide basic protection, simple education and maintain infrastructure and a justice system.  We are called to love!  We are meant to be Jesus hands and feet on this earth.  We are commissioned to “go ye into all the world.”

So, while sometimes, life doesn’t seem fair and we don’t always get our way, we are richly blessed and have much to take to a hurt and dying world.   We have a message of hope and we have the means to offer that hope in the form of love.  That love can look like different things to different people.  It might look like food.  It might look like blankets.  It might look like assistance with the legal system.  It could look like a hug and a prayer.  Maybe it’s helping an abused child or a battered woman get to safety.  But it’s all love and it’s the high calling of all believers everywhere.  Can you see those in your world who could use a hand up? Are there hurting and broken people who you can reach out to?  I would challenge each of us to be Jesus hands and feet, wherever we go and impact the world for the Kingdom!

From His Lap,

32 comments:

  1. I absolutely love this... its amazing that I went through life till my late 30's early 40's and then realized what you are saying here. We are in charge of our destiny, giving love and support should be our main goals in life. If you sit around being a victim of life you do not create anything good in your life. Thank you for sharing this..

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  2. Thank you so much for visiting, Shauna! I hope that our next generation realizes it before it's too late. There are a lot of wonderful people out there doing great and mighty things. I am inspired by them to do all that I can to be one who helps!!
    Hugs and blessings!
    ~Erin

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  3. Excellent post... And such a great reminder that we are truly blessed when we go to bed in a safe, dry shelter and wake up knowing we have food to eat. Beyond that, it's just trivial.

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  4. Thank you, Randy. We have so much to give. If we could just turn loose of our treasures and share them, what a difference it would make!
    Blessings,
    ~Erin

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  5. Thanks for the challenge Erin. I needed this today.

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  6. Thank you for stopping by, Sue! Don't you love being challenged. It stretches us and causes us to grow!
    Blessings,
    ~Erin

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  7. Good words Erin. Nobody really said life is fair. We shouldn't expect that. But we should expect to make the best of what we are given and make it better instead of expecting "someone" to make it fair.

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  8. Great post Erin. I think we all go thru our me me me once in a while but its nice to see something like this to remind us to take a step back and reflect-thank you for that.

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  9. This is one of those things that we know and "get" objectively, but, at least for me, it is so hard to really practice.I guess "practice" is the choice word here, as for some of us need to do just that. That's why I like your blog so much. It provides great inspiration!

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  10. Amen, Kellianne! I think we should remind ourselves of that often! Good words! Thank you for stopping by!
    Hugs,
    ~Erin

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  11. Irene,
    I need to reflect quite often! I like my nice things! LOL!
    Blessings,
    ~Erin

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  12. Michael Ann,
    Thank you so much for your kind words! I love it when you visit here! It's great to have people hold us accountable, isn't it. I know I need it!
    Hugs,
    ~Erin

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  13. I love this post Erin! I love just hanging out on your blog and listening to the music. I'm in complete agreement with everything you've said and it's a great reminder. LIFE ISN'T FAIR, but we serve a loving God and He does not ask of us more than we can give or handle. I'm writing a book, my life's story, in blog form and the pace is accelerating. If you'd like to see it, it's: libbyslifeandtimes.wordpress.com

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  14. Libby,
    That is so kind of you to say. I'm so glad we serve a loving God too! I need it!
    I can't wait to go ck out your story. I'm off to church, but I'll ck it out when I get back!
    Love you!
    ~Erin

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  15. Erin - I agree. Everyone says, "I deserve to be happy." Where is that in the Bible? God doesn't promise us happiness, but He promises he'll be there to help us through anything. You commented on a post in my blog. Thanks for reading. I'll visit often. Thanks!

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  16. Chathy,
    Yes, yes! He promises to be there with us and He promises joy unspeakable and full of glory! I'm so glad you stopped by here!
    Hugs,
    ~Erin

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  17. Another excellent post Erin. The Holy Spirit is certainly upon you, guiding you as you type. So often it is though your posts are meant just for me. :)

    I'm not sure I agree the government's God-given role is education, but I get the point. We are a society of "victims" and entitlement. I feel encouraged when surfing the blog world and find so many families determined to raise their children with old-fashioned values.

    Blessings,
    Marcia

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    1. Marcia, as always, your kind words bless me! Isn't it great to find families who refuse to raise their children with the entitlement mentality. We give our children such a wonderful gift when we teach them to be grateful!
      Blessings,
      ~Erin

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  18. Me again. I was just looking at your photos in the sidebar. No way are you old enough to have grown daughters!

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    1. I have 3 grown daughters and 3 grown sons!! I'm old!

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  19. We just had a discussion on deserving and happiness vs joy in our small group. You are so right! We all deserve an eternity apart from God. He gives us FAR more than we deserve!

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    1. Amen, Audra! That's what we deserve. But He is so merciful and compassionate. It's all through His grace that we have anything! Thank you so much for stopping by!
      Blessings,
      ~Erin

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  20. Marcia from vB just wrote a post about the "what if" road goes right along with yours! (GOD must be telling me something this morning!!!!) Your words are so true about the entitlements--as a child I herd this quote in church -- GODs GRACE getting something for which I’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve...SAVED me and his MERCY not getting something negative that I absolutely do deserve... DEATH & HELL. Living the life GODs planed out for me all I'm REALLY entitled to do is BE THANKFUL for what I'm givien, not focus on what I WANT! =)


    LOVELY POST!!!!

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    1. Preach it, sister!! Can I get a woot woot! You are so right. Isn't that just like God to send 2 messages your way that really speak to you. God's talking to you, sister!
      Thank you for stopping by!
      Blessings,
      ~Erin

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  21. Amen!! It reminds me of the quote (I'm not sure where it comes from) "He never said it would be easy, only that it would be worth it." Life isn't fair, but there is always something to be grateful for and there is always another person or family in greater need than myself. Thanks for a much needed reminder. :)

    Blessings friend!
    ~Rosann

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    1. That's right, Rosann. All we have to do is look around and we can find so many people who we could bless with what we've been blessed with. You are always a blessing to me, sister!
      Love you!
      ~Erin

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  22. Erin... you always say and write the right thing. You have a way of reaching out to others, and then setting others straight... all done with Jesus on your lips. Oh and I love and could not agree more of what Marcia (Mrs Settles)commented...I could not agree more... you look maahvelous and not old enough to have grown children! Bless you!

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    1. Oh, Carla, I'm not meaning to set anyone straight!! These words are for me too. And thank you for those, oh, so kind words. I'm a grandma, 3 times over!
      Love you!
      ~Erin

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  23. Love can heal and help when nothing else can. Lovely post my sweet friend.

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    1. Yes it can, Becky. I'm so grateful for all the supportive encouraging friends I've made through vB! And you my dear, are one of those precious friends!
      Blessings,
      ~Erin

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  24. A friend had just been talking to me over the phone today how her life and marriage is not what its supposed to be. Same thoughts as you've mentioned. She drove around asking God why this is all happening to her and asking if she'd done something so wrong in the past to deserve this. We've all been there. Some are right there in that situation. But what matters is we will be able to get through all of those in God's grace.

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    1. Amen, Roxi! I hope that your friend leans on the Lord to find her answers. He is where all our answers lie! Thank you so much for stopping by!
      Blessings,
      ~Erin

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Thank you for giving us a little nugget of truth from your heart!

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