Life is not fair

Written by Brian Kenyon.

In Ecclesiastes 9:11, the Preacher wrote, “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”(NIV)

Indeed, life “under the sun” is not always fair. “Under the sun” refers to life as mankind sees it, without God. It is life restricted to the here and now. As long as we inhabit this world, unfairness will occur. Jesus did not die to make life unfair. But as Christians, life does not have to be fair. Our happiness and security are in Christ (Rom. 8:31-39), not in the “life under the sun.” So how can we live in an unfair world?

In the first place, we must live for God. We are His by creation (Genesis 1:26-27; Eccl. 12:17). God sent Christ to die for our sins. Because of this, Paul said that “they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (II Cor. 5:15). Furthermore, we are “bought with a price,” therefore, we must glorify God in our lives (I Cor. 6:20). Living for God necessarily involves seeking His will (Matt. 6:33; Col. 3:1).

Secondly, we must measure ourselves by God’s standards rather than the standards of men. Paul says that it is not wise to compare with others who “commend themselves” (II Cor. 10:12). Instead, we must be of the number whom the Lord commends (II Cor. 10:18), and He will only commend those who measure themselves and live by His standards.

Thirdly, we must “labor in the Lord” (I Cor. 15:58). Labor “under the sun” is vain (Eccl. 2:18-23). All that one has labored for will one day be left to someone else who may or may not take care of it. However, none of our labors “in the Lord” is vain. Therefore, it is not the end of the world when we are treated unfairly in this life because our treasures are elsewhere (Matt. 6:20-21). Jesus said, “Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life” (John 6:27).

The race may not be won by the swiftest runner, and the victory of battle may not go to the strongest participant. Life is not fair. But as Christians, we can be rest assured that the unfairness of this world will be as nothing when compared to eternity with God (Rom. 8:18). Let us then live for God, measure ourselves by His standards, and labor in the Lord. Periodical examination of oneself in regard to the faith is healthy (II Cor. 13:5).

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