I have 2 incredible kids. They’re kind, considerate and compassionate, but they’re also brother and sister. I remember when Katie was just old enough to toddle around, she would sneak up behind her “big brother” and give him a push. He would cry and she would run away. While they don’t push each other anymore, she still knows how to push his buttons.
As parents we’ve seen that often their sibling rivalries center around inequities. You know what I mean; one get’s to go on a date with Mom, an extra scoop of ice cream or 5 more minutes of screen time. As parents our response to the inevitable dissention in the ranks is to remind them that “life’s NOT fair” which is usually followed by the “it’s your job to worry about yourself” sermon. (They go hand-in-hand because you really can’t see what’s wrong with others if you’re busy working on yourself.)
Well, I have to confess that at 45 I too get sucked into that “life’s not fair” mindset. Do any of these sound familiar to you?
- Why did he get the promotion?
- She’s got too many items to be in the express lane
- I’ve waited longer than they have
The reality is that life is not fair and you can’t change others—the way they act or respond to you. You can only take care of yourself by deciding how YOU will respond. The truth is that if I spent more time working on me and less time seeing the inequities of others, my little part of the world would be so much better.
The Scriptures tell us to “…fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame”. If the cross of Christ tells us anything, it’s that life is not fair. But it can be good and right and holy in spite, or maybe even because, of those inequities.
