He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. — Psalm 103:10
“Not fair!” Whether you’ve said it or at least thought it, you’ve got to admit, it’s hard to see someone get away with something and not get what they deserve.

 
We learn this early in life. Just ask the parent of any teenager. Kids hate to see their siblings get off scot-free for the things they got spanked for. Which is why tattling was invented. But then, we never really outgrow this. To our way of thinking, when someone else wrongs us, we want them to “get what’s coming to them!” However, when we wrong others or sin ourselves, we want God’s mercy.

 
But if God were into being “fair,” we would all be consumed by His judgment! We can be thankful for this: “[God] has not dealt with us according to our sins” (Ps. 103:10). We should be glad, not grumpy, that God chooses mercy over fairness and that He is willing to extend grace even to those who are undeserving and hopelessly lost. And while we are thinking about it, when was the last time we let mercy trump fairness with someone who offended us?

It’s not God’s fairness but His mercy that drives Him to pursue us so that heaven can have a party when we are found (Luke 15:7). Personally, I’m thankful that God has not been “fair” with me! Aren’t you?

You will absolutely wear yourself out demanding fairness. Because guess what? There are a lot of things in this life that are not fair. It’s not fair that someone who never sinned bore the punishment for my sin. Be assured that God will have the final word on what is fair and just. In the meantime, let’s hop down from the judgment seat and let God have the place that belongs to Him alone.

We can show mercy to others because God has shown mercy to us. So who needs mercy in your life? Surprise someone today. Instead of being vengeful and handing out judgment, think about offering to others what God has offered you…mercy. 

God bless you on your journey!