Fair Response!

A reality of life is that things are not always fair. Though sometimes a harsh reality and one difficult to help children understand, it is nonetheless a fact of life in this realm. Our interest in fairness may most often be with regard to ourselves. However, how well do we focus on what is fair with regard to others? Someone has stated, “The test of your fairness is how fair you are to those who are not.” [source: calendar quote] Most often, when one wants to “even the score” with another who has been unkind or unfair, it does not work out to be “tit for tat”, but rather a little bit more than what was received.

Under the old law, even the ox or donkey of an enemy were to be returned or rescued from a burden that caused them to fall. ( Exodus 23:4-5) Consideration was to be given and good was to be done even for an enemy. Inaction was not to take place in an attempt to get even. The encouragement was to DO GOOD in spite of the actions of another.

In Proverbs we read…
“(17) DO NOT REJOICE WHEN YOUR ENEMY FALLS, and LET NOT YOUR HEART BE GLAD WHEN HE STUMBLES, (18) lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.” ( Proverbs 24:17-18 ESV)

Though the inclination might be a desire to “even the score”, the exhortation was to not even rejoice though it might appear they were getting what they deserved. What was truly deserved was to be left in the hands of God.

Later in the same chapter we read…
“DO NOT SAY, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done.’” ( Proverbs 24:29 ESV)

Paul also exhorted…
“SEE THAT NO ONE REPAYS ANYONE EVIL FOR EVIL, BUT ALWAYS SEEK TO DO GOOD TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO EVERYONE.” ( 1 Thessalonians 5:15 ESV)

In the eyes of God, the fair response is simply to DO GOOD regardless of who it is and what they have done. Paul encouraged those at Rome with the same idea. ( Romans 12:17-21), including the exhortation to DO GOOD. Remember God Himself causes His sun to shine and the rain to fall on both the just and the unjust. ( Matthew 5:45) Besides that, has not God been more than fair with us, not treating us as our own sins deserve? If we are going to be like Him we must continue to be willing to DO GOOD regardless of what others have done. May we seek to always respond in a way that both glorifies God and has potential benefit for others.

Have a great day PASSING THE TRUE TEST OF FAIRNESS!
Carl

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