the dreaded three words

It's not fair!

Those three words,
spoken in that order
did not fly in my house.

And after a time,
they no longer warranted
the easy response...
Life's not fair!

For what in this world is?

So my children simply learned
not to say it.

Because as they grew up,
their life was pretty easy...
compared to many others.
They had a great life
and no reason to complain
about unfairness.

But what they lacked
was perspective.

That's truly what you gain
as you grow older.
Well at least, I hope we all do.

And I think it's actually
a great gift that God gives
when He allows us to become parents.

This new viewpoint of how
God might possibly see us
as children from His Father's eye.

I mean, I've seen a toddler
throw a tantrum on the floor
about the most ridiculous nothing.
You probably have too.

And there have been times
as I've stood over said toddler,
that God has nudged me and whispered,
See that...
it looks a little like how you behaved
when I didn't let you have your way.

And I remember my heart
kicking and screaming
over something now past
that He handled better than I could.

But what also helps us gain
a better perspective on life
is actually reading the Bible.

Because it is a historical account
of the lives of many who lived before.
Many who got it right with God,
and many who did not.

And when reading as a parent,
it's humbling to see
what a great Father
God has been to His people...
to us.

For He has truly pursued us
throughout the ages.

Even like the parent now,
who has a wayward teen
or young adult child.

We don't stop loving them
because they have chosen
a difficult path in life.

In fact, our heart aches and breaks
over the life choices they are making.
Yet we know that if we rescue them,
or even TRY to give them advice
they will only pull further away.

Enter God into the Old Testament
with the Israelites!

Have you read any of it...
a lot of times, we jump into
and out of the Old Testament,
reading only here or there.
But if we are not reading the whole story...
chronologically, as it really unfolded,
it can cause us to accuse God
of being hard and harsh,
even angry and mean.

But if we will read it from the beginning...
it's easier to see that the character of God
is truly not any of those things.

And then we could gain perspective
to see that the Israelites became like
our wayward teen,
our young adult child.

But they were called...
the children of God.

And He didn't stop loving them
because they chose
a difficult path in life.

In fact, His heart ached and broke
over the life choices they made.
Yet He knew that if He rescued them
or even TRIED to give them advice
they would only pull further away from Him.

Listen to what He even says to
one of His prophets, Ezekiel...
“Son of man, give the people
of Israel this message:
You are saying,
‘Our sins are heavy upon us;
we are wasting away!
How can we survive?’

As surely as I live,
says the Sovereign Lord,
I take no pleasure in the death
of wicked people.
I only want them to turn from
their wicked ways so they can live.
Turn! Turn from your wickedness,
O people of Israel!
Why should you die?
Ezekiel 33:10-11 NLT

God didn't take pleasure
in sentencing them to death
over their sin.

Like we, as parents,
really don't take pleasure
in punishing our children
when they disobey.

I know I don't!
Especially when I have to take away
something I gave them
which I know brought them joy.

And that's exactly when
we can hear that dreaded phrase...
It's not fair!
Whether said or unsaid, it hangs there.

And then there will be such tension
in our relationship for days.

Those strained conversations.
Those really tense moments
of silence where we pretend
we are not mad, but inside
there is just that something
as a barrier between us.

Like God...
I don't take pleasure in it.
I actually hate it.

Listen in, again on God's conversation
with Ezekiel...
“Yet the children of your people say,
‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’

Wow... that sounds familiar.
Think how God felt.
I can feel the tension rising.

And He continued...
But it is their way which is not fair!
When the righteous turns
from his righteousness and
commits iniquity,
he shall die because of it.

But when the wicked turns
from his wickedness and
does what is lawful and right,
he shall live because of it.
Yet you say,
‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’
O house of Israel,
I will judge every one of you
according to his own ways.”
Ezekiel 33:17-20

Can you hear this from your mouth?
Do you get the slightest bit
of parent perspective?

A father who longs for
his GOOD kid not to turn
toward the wrong crowd.

And a father who longs for
his kid who made BAD choices
to turn around and come back home.

God, the Father of all, certainly
does not deserve the label, UNFAIR.

For He is a just and fair God
who judges each and every one of us
according to our own ways.

Just as we desire to judge
our own kids fairly.

But like children...
we are known to throw fits.
I have done so.

Sometimes, they might be outbursts
seen and heard like a toddler.

And you may say,
I would never...

But what about the days
of worrying over something
as it tosses and tumbles in your mind,
keeping you awake at night.

That's a childish behavior as well
not trusting the Father
who promised to take care
of everything.

It really is a fit, more of the mind...
we just can't see it on the outside.

I'm not pointing fingers here.
The only reason I can describe them
is because I've had them!

Which is why I am so glad
that I came running back to my
Abba Father after my days
as a rebellious heart,
worrying and wandering,
kicking and screaming.

Because then I learned
of the greatest gift of all times,
GRACE.

God saved you by his grace
when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this;
it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for
the good things we have done,
​so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

GRACE is the antithesis of unfair.
When it floats about us,
that dreaded three word phrase
shouldn't ever come near our lips.

For we no longer have to count
the sins, nor the righteous acts.
Nothing is ever going to earn our way
into the heart of God.

But, oh for His GRACE!

It's like floating on a cloud.
It's like swimming in a sea of surrender.
It's like dancing on a feather.

I feel lighter than air
when I set my heart and mind
on the GRACE of God.

This my new perspective..
for I know that He is a good Father
who cares for me beyond reason.
And he takes pleasure in that.

Word of God
train me today...
To not count upon my righteousness
to earn my way to you, nor focus on
the judgment of my sins
​to keep me from You.

To float upon the GRACE
​You take pleasure in giving.