We all want what’s fair.  And we’ve always believed in the principle of fairness.  From our earliest years of life, we’re taught to ‘play fair’ when engaging in games and contests with one another.  We’re taught not to cheat — to not take an unfair advantage when taking tests, whether they be tests of our intellect or tests of our physical abilities (sports) — not cheating or playing fair is the rule of the day.  Even after we’ve aged and moved into the marketplace of work, we want what’s fair.  We want a ‘fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work’.  We want to be fairly compensated financially for what we offer to our employer in labor.  That’s why unions were created — to argue on behalf of the laborers for fair pay.  And there have been entire movements in this nation and the world with the voices of people crying out for fairness in justice, and how they are treated by systems of politics, race, gender and basic freedoms.  But clearly, we have a different idea of fairness in our world of understanding.  If we feel we’ve been cheated, we’re likely to raise our voice in protests, especially if we’re on the losing end.  We’re less likely to raise our voices in protest if the other side loses because of cheating.

         But God has a different way of looking at fairness.  God’s way looks at fairness through the lens of God’s love to determine what is fair and what is not.  In God’s system of fairness, we can be confident that we will always get what God has promised us.  Some may even receive more than God has promised, but ‘the more’ that we receive is always non-negotiable and is given at God’s discretion.  And because what’s fair is issued from a place of Godly love, we can be absolutely, positively certain that it will be fair based on God’ generosity and not our miscalculated expectations.

• How does your concept of fairness differ from the idea of fairness posed by God?
• In what ways does your idea of fairness replicate God’s way of rewarding people?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, help me to understand that my reward for a life lived in service to You is based solely on the fairness that exists because of Your generous grace.

         About the year 1830, a man named George Wilson killed a government employee who caught him in the act of robbing the mails.  He was tried and sentenced to be hanged.  However, President Andrew Jackson sent him a pardon.  But Wilson did a strange thing.  He refused to accept the pardon, and no one knew what to do.  So, the case was sent to the Supreme Court.

         Chief Justice John Marshall, considered one of the greatest Justices ever, wrote the courts opinion.  In it, he said, “A pardon is a slip of paper, the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned.  If it is refused, it is no pardon.  George Wilson must be hanged.”  And so, he was.

         George Wilson was offered the freedom that comes with forgiveness and a pardon and the opportunity to go free.  But because of his refusal, he was shown judgment without mercy.  Had he chosen to accept the pardon offered, then God’s word would have been made manifest among us and mercy would have triumphed over judgment.

         We don’t always recognize that a part the power of forgiveness is accepting it when it is offered.  And another part of it is being able to forgive ourselves for the sins we’ve committed.  When we learn to forgive ourselves then — in truth and fact — mercy will always triumph over judgment.  That is precisely what we received when Christ died for us.  The mercy of God triumphed over judgment because of God’s heart and God’s heart inspired forgiveness of us all.

• Why do you believe it’s so difficult for us to forgive ourselves?
• Does finding the willingness to forgive ourselves lead us to be more heart inspired forgiveness for ourselves and others? How?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving God, forgive us when we are unable to forgive ourselves. Help us to grow in our faith that we may offer heart inspired forgiveness to all.

         During the children’s sermon one Sunday, a pastor held up an ugly looking summer shirt that he wore around the house.  He explained that someone said the shirt was ugly and that it should be thrown away.

         The pastor said, “This really hurt me, and I’m having trouble forgiving the person who said those mean things.  Do you think I should forgive that person?”, he asked.  Immediately his six-year-old daughter raised her hand.  “Yes, you should, she said without hesitation.”  “But why?”, he asked.  “The person hurt my feelings.”

         To which his daughter answered, “Because you’re married to her!”

         Choosing to forgive is sometimes difficult ground to navigate once our feelings are hurt.  We first have to put our feelings aside and deal with what may be another person’s truth.  At the same time, we have to consider the number of times we may have hurt someone and never sought forgiveness or reconciliation.  The other consideration is whether or not, the other person has asked for our forgiveness.  That becomes complicated because we have already received God’s forgiveness, and been reconciled without our request, remembering “ … but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

         It may be an important point to remember that we received forgiveness before we asked for it.  It may just be that “heart inspired forgiveness” is just like that — if offers forgiveness even before it’s asked for.  When it’s offered that way, it comes with the added benefit of unconditional love — God’s greatest gift of mercy.

• What conditions would have to exist in order for you to offer heart inspired forgiveness to someone without them asking for it?
• Why is this forgiveness different from forgiveness which is asked for?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
God of grace, fill me with Your grace of heart inspired forgiveness so that I may always forgive others as you forgive me.