Always Good

I try not to compare my story to other people’s, because I know that doesn’t lead to a heart of contentment. Sometimes though, it feels like I can’t help it. Like when I run into an old acquaintance who’s been married just a few years and already has more living children than I do… or when I overhear a mom belittling her children or see a mom not taking very good care of her kids, I do tend to wonder, “Why can so many women have children with ease, but I can’t?”

These trains of thought never end well, so I try to cut them off; but I’ll just be honest and admit that far too often I’ve thought, “God, this is not fair.”

And it isn’t. Life is not fair. But, isn’t that actually a good thing?

I read a quote by John MacArthur I will never forget: “Is God unfair in choosing not to save everyone? ‘Fair’ would send everyone to hell. You don’t want fair; you want mercy.”

If God was fair, He’d allow my own sinfulness and rebellion against His holiness to condemn me to hell. Instead, Christ’s blood offers atonement for my sins and pleads the Father to offer His mercy, since Christ took my punishment for me.

No, life, isn’t fair. But God is just.
Life may not be easy, but Christ’s yoke is light.
Life hurts sometimes, but God’s Word offers healing.

So, in the midst of my comparison games, I remind myself that God, who once compared me to His perfect standard of holiness, now only sees me through the grace of Christ’s sacrifice. I cling to His character which urges me to stop complaining, and start giving thanks for the goodness He’s bestowed upon every one of His children. I’ve experienced so much more grace than I could ever deserve, and for that reason, I am glad life isn’t “fair.”

In a world where life sometimes feels cruel, I’m thankful for a God who is kind and generous. A God who loves me as His own. A God who can be trusted to fulfill His plan for me and my family, and Who will eventually make everything that’s wrong, right.

A God whose character is so much better than fair, but is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise…

and always, always good.

© Grace Baeten 2022