It’s Not Fair!

Is Life to Always Be Fair?

The past few years have often sparked discussion concerning the issue of fairness in our culture and society. Too many people have embraced the idea that everything should be “fair.” As a pastor, I have seen this mindset play out often in parent-child relationships. Parents frequently believe they are teaching their children something good when they teach “fairness.” They seem to think it is a biblical concept.

But what are we teaching a child when we teach that life is all about fairness?

While we should always seek to treat others fairly, is it not true that the idea of fairness is largely subjective? What seems fair to one person may not seem fair to another. When a child screams, “That’s not fair,” what is he really saying? He is saying that he believes he has been mistreated by someone else. In other words, his idea of fairness is centered on himself. Thus, when we teach children that life must always be fair, we may actually be teaching them to become self-centered and selfish.

Does the idea of “fairness” come from the biblical text? Of course, there is the proverbial “Golden Rule” found in Matthew 7:12: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” However, this verse is not specifically about “fairness.” In its context, it is part of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus addresses prayer. He compares God’s graciousness and goodness toward us with our graciousness and goodness toward others (Matt. 7:7-11). Then verse 12 begins with the word “Therefore,” meaning “based upon what has just been said.” The conclusion is that we should treat others in the way we ourselves would want to be treated.

One is hard-pressed to find a biblical emphasis on “fairness” in the Scriptures. In fact, many examples seem to demonstrate otherwise. For instance, was it “fair” that God rejected hardworking and manly Esau while accepting the soft and crafty Jacob? Was it “fair” that all of Achan’s household was stoned because of his actions? Was it fair that thirty-six innocent soldiers lost their lives because of Achan’s sin? Was it “fair” that over a million people were condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years because of the disbelief of ten men who brought back an evil report? Was it “fair” that God sent Abraham’s descendants into Egyptian bondage for four hundred years when, as yet, they had done nothing wicked (Gen. 15:13-14; cf. Acts 7:6)? Scores of other biblical examples could also be used to demonstrate that God is not concerned with what mankind calls “fair.”

However, the Scriptures are filled with references to holiness, righteousness, justice, and godliness. God’s concern is that we live holy and righteous lives. The emphasis is on individual responsibility before Christ. If we are living in that manner, then our actions toward others will also flow from the proper motivation. Fairness will not be our chief concern. Rather, godliness will be.
How does this play out in our society? The distorted idea of fairness has helped produce an abundance of ungodly legislation in our country. The argument is often made: “It’s not fair if homosexual couples cannot marry the same way heterosexual couples can.” However, society should not feel compelled to submit to someone else’s definition of fairness. Rather, we should follow the biblical admonition that such a lifestyle is an “abomination” (Lev. 18:22). Our laws should reflect righteousness.

Of course, someone will respond, “It’s not fair to enforce your biblical viewpoint on others.” Again, the issue of fairness is raised because someone feels slighted or mistreated. In other words, it becomes self-centered. Yet history has repeatedly demonstrated that societies cannot survive indefinitely once they abandon righteous standards.

Another example of misplaced fairness can be seen in economic policy. Many of our leaders seem determined to embrace socialism. This philosophy is often rooted in the belief that it is not “fair” for one person to possess more than another. But unfair to whom? Again, the philosophy is self-centered. Righteousness and justice would suggest that people who refuse to seize the opportunities available to them must learn to live with less. Some may argue, “But it is not fair if people do not have equal opportunity, and that is why we need these laws.” Yet legislation itself cannot create opportunity. Opportunity comes to those who dedicate themselves to learning and hard work. The more a person learns and labors, the more opportunities tend to arise. This is simply the principle of cause and effect.

So let us strive to be righteous and godly, and then our lives will be right before God.