Why is life unfair?

Dear Roselle,

God has many plans for the righteous.

The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever (Ps.37:29)

The righteous will be glad when they are avenged..(ps 58:10)

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow (Ps 92:12)

The righteous will thrive like a green leaf (pr 11:28)

The righteous will never be moved (pr 10:30)

We are all called to be good and to be blessed. God watches over the righteous, and as much as God promises good for those who do good, he promises bad for those who do bad. Some people call this karma.

Every bad deed will be paid for.

10"All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, Those who say, The calamity will not overtake or confront us.' Amos 9:10

God also says that every person who has killed a man will also by a man be killed.

Why then, if you are good, are you having a rough time?

There are two most common reasons.

The first is, you are paying for the sins of others. That is, we are all living in an ecosystem that relates to one another. Now, if there is one sinner politician who steals millions, then the good that should have been received by the people are not received, the poor man now is paying for the sins of the politician. You would literally be bearing the burden for someone else.

It is the same within a smaller system like the family. If your father is a drunkard, and your mother is good and working hard, then in this case, your mother is bearing the burden of your father.

In this world, we are called to love others. Loving others is bearing one another's burdens. Then, at the same time, we call for change, but the love and goodness that we give is never lost or wasted. It transforms people.

For example, a drug-addicted son will be loved and called to change by his mother. He won't listen. At that time, perhaps the mother could give up, or retaliate in anger, and disown her son, but instead she chooses to continue to love him, to keep reminding him to go to God. Now, the mother dies, and the son finally realizes how much love his mom has given him, and in grief and remorse, he changes his life. The love was so great and the pain so real that he starts to work with people in rehab to fully transform others. You may not know it now, but your righteousness and your goodness in the world is never wasted. It is always making changes in the world.

When God wanted to save Sodom, he said ten men were all that was needed to save the city. Now, can you imagine the power of goodness? Only ten men had the power to save a hundred or hundreds of people? In these times when there is so much evil, corruption, compromise, all the more your righteousness will be counted.

We are all called to be the salt and light of the earth. All of us. That is what the Kingdom of God will be built on. If now life is unfair, it is only temporary. Like all good things, it bears fruit. Even in a normal practical way. If you work hard and are always friendly, your boss will notice it. If you are helpful, you might be an asset to someone powerful who needs you. You might get more jobs and more opportunities. You might end up rich one day. The promises to the righteous are never easy, because God is growing the person you are becoming. This proves the second reason why God sends good people hardship: He is growing the person He wants you to be. You don't grow by just winning the lottery. You grow by putting in the discipline day in and day out, and giving love, and enjoying the value of true thank you's and good friendships. Then your heart will be beautiful inside, and your rewards will not just be material things, but what really counts: contentment, happiness, joy, and the inner strength fueled by God to walk through anything unscathed.

Unscathed meaning, you might get hurt momentarily, but God will always give you the courage, the goodness, the love to carry on. That is the gift of the righteous.

" 12The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13planted in the house of the Lord,they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14They will still bear fruit in old age,they will stay fresh and green, 15proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” Psalm 92

Why does he want us to be Righteous?

Because He made us in His image, and there is no wickedness in him.

9O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds. 10My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart.…

He himself is righteous, and He wants us, His children, to be righteous as well. It is our plan and great hope that at the end, the wicked will come to an end, not because he kills them off (though he might kill a lot of people on the way) but because each of us has ended the wickedness inside of us.

Now, we might be healing the sins of our fathers/ancestors/past leaders/past presidents/present corrupt government but after we overcome all their sins with our love, we will be growing a new generation of God lovers. People who don't make others bear their sins, and who do good because they love God, they love themselves and they love others. This is the future kingdom we look forward to, and then, all things will be "fair". What a wonderful world that is!

This world starts with you now, as you bear the burden for others and give love, you become a light in this unfair world. Be strong, and take your strength from God, who loves you, who sees the righteousness in your heart, and who will continue to protect and love you all of your days, "kahit maputi na ang buhok mo".

#brotherskeeper #whyislifeunfair