Unfair
30 After Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31 He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”
32 His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”
“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him–and indeed he will be blessed!”
34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me–me too, my father!”
35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”
Genesis 27:30-35

What happened to Esau was unfair. His mother had taken his brother’s side against him. She had helped Jacob to trick Isaac so that his brother received his father’s blessing. It wasn’t fair, and yet God used this unfairness.

Esau response was bitterness and a desire for revenge. Each of us can follow this path. We can hold the unfairness in our hearts and allow bitterness to control us. Our lives can be focused on getting what seems fair.

Or we can choose another path. We let go of what we feel and hold on to what we know – that God is there, that He hasn’t abandoned us, and that He can use even this to help us to grow. Then we can look beyond to follow God’s plan.

Many things happen in our lives that seem unfair. It wasn’t fair that Jesus was betrayed by a friend. It wasn’t fair that he whipped and spat upon and sentenced to die on the cross. But Jesus gave us an example to follow, saying on the night He was arrested, “Your will be done”.

It’s hard to understand why unfair things happen, and yet they can be a blessing. They can break our pride and turn us in humility toward God. They can help us to grow, help us to forgive, and help us to love. It might be a struggle but, in the end, perhaps we will look to God and say, “Thank you”.

Prayer:
• What has happened in your life that seems unfair? Look beyond and ask God to turn it into a blessing. Let God lead you to grow and to forgive. Let Him lead you to say, “Your will be done”. Ask for the blessing that one day you will be able to say “Thank you”.