Life, is it fair or unfair? How do you determine the answer to that? How is it measured? What are the parameters used to decide what is fair and what isn’t? Unfortunately, fairness is more about opinion than fact.

Consider for a moment how someone from a third-world country might judge fairness compared to someone from this country. Or how a wealthy person might see fairness versus someone raised in poverty. Fairness can seem random. It changes based on a person’s background and socioeconomic status. What one person finds fair might seem unfair to another. Life can be tough and sometimes feel unfair, but is it really? Maybe the issue isn’t with life itself, but with how I view it.

As a follower of Christ, I believe everyone begins as a sinner. In other words, we are all broken, and no one is truly good. Throughout history and even today, people have been selfish and self-centered. Evil doesn’t come from outside us, but from within our own hearts. Remember, Cain killed Abel because he thought life was unfair. Was it? Or did Cain simply feel he wasn’t treated right and became jealous of his brother? Doesn’t that sound like the old adage that what you have I want, so I’m going to take it because I believe I deserve it and my life is unfair.

Jealousy often influences our sense of fairness. We desire what others have and become upset when we don’t get it. Instead of owning our actions, we often blame others. I find this amusing because it’s as old as humanity. Remember the story of Adam and Eve? Adam blamed Eve and God, while Eve blamed the serpent. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? 

And so, we return to the idea of what’s fair and unfair. We often forget that we choose how to respond to life. When life gives us lemons, we must decide to make lemonade. Think about it.