Life’s Not Fair. So Now What?

Disheartening axioms that include no remedy are annoying.😫

Life’s not fair.

So what should we do?

  • Hold our noses and take it?
  • Get liquored up and not care?
  • Turn to a life of clandestine crime against the “bad guys?”

None of these are healthy choices.

Here’s an idea: since life’s not fair, make it fairer.

Now, that’s a possible remedy!

Yes, it’s a tall order, but wonderfully anticipatory. It reminds me of my favorite quote by Martin Luther King, Jr., “Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.”

After all, according to 1 Peter 2:9, “We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

We’re torch bearers, not Twinkies in the rain!

The 13th century Persian poet, Rumi, is one of my favorite torch bearer types. No, he wasn’t a Christian, but he’s right about how to make life more decent.

Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.

Rumi

Next to his quote in my journal I wrote, “A Royal Priest for God – 1 Peter 2:9.”

So what’s the job description for a Royal Priest? I found it in the Old Testament book of Micah–three things we can do to make life fairer.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8 (NIV)

  • Act Justly – always do right by others. Right = what God would do.
  • Love Mercy – be kinder than is necessary.
  • Walk Humbly with God – He’s the Savior. It’s not about us.

If enough of God’s people consistently did these things, it could make the world a better place.

My father, a math teacher, used to say, “Life is like arithmetic. In any given situation people either add, subtract, multiply or divide.”

Sounds like a plan! We should at LEAST add to the quality of life around us, and make it our goal to multiply.

One more thought from my man, Rumi:

“Wherever you stand, be the soul of that place”

Make life fairer


Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

This post was originally published on March 27, 2021.


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52 responses to “Life’s Not Fair. So Now What?”

  1. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, brother! I saw your repost. I appreciate it! God’s best to you, my friend.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. BG Avatar

    This is excellent! Don’t know why I haven’t reposted it! Reposting my friend!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Jeffrey H. King Avatar

    Glad to do it!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thanks for the reblog, Jeff! Your positive feedback means a lot to me. God Bless, brother!

    Liked by 1 person

  5. davidsdailydose Avatar

    You’re welcome, brother! Making life fairer is an overarching goal for me, but it’s harder than it sounds.😊

    Someone told me the other day, “Relationships build resiliency.” This is a good place to start.

    Thanks for stopping by, my brother!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Beth. I wrote this post in the past, but decided to repost—after a recent “that’s not fair!” moment. I’m grateful for your encouragement! God Bless.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Jeffrey H. King Avatar

    Reblogged this on Jeffrey H. King's Blog and commented:
    David’s article here is packed with very good, very wise information. It’s something I plan to keep close as a reminder of all the ways I should approach life and often – don’t! Please give this a slow, thoughtful read and look for David’s new thoughts every Saturday.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. The Devotional Guy™ Avatar

    I’ve heard the “life’s not fair”’refrain repeatedly in my lifetime. I’ve often wondered how to make it fairer. What would that look like? Thanks for sharing some ideas and suggestions, David. You’ve given me food for thought.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Beth Alisan Avatar

    Spot on David! Couldn’t agree more with what the others have put in their comments.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. BerryBunch.family Avatar
    BerryBunch.family

    oh, cool! thanks David

    And you’re very welcome

    Andy B

    Liked by 1 person

  11. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Sorry, I’m a bit behind in responding, Andy B. Hostess Twinkies are small yellow sponge cakes filled with white frosting. Thank you for stopping by and sharing as well! God Bless.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Nancy. Amen! I am encouraged by your uplifting comment!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Nancy Ruegg Avatar

    So many worthy nuggets to savor here, David–from Rumi, Martin Luther King, Jr., your dad, and you! Love the idea of mercy that’s kinder than called for. As the old chorus used to proclaim: “They will know we are Christians by our love!” Help us, Heavenly Father, to be just such emissaries for you.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. BerryBunch.family Avatar
    BerryBunch.family

    Your father was a wise man!

    How true that wisdom is!!

    I don’t know what a Twinkie is though…as a Brit we see it referenced in the Die Hard franchise, for one…is it some sort of a cake? On Wall-E it pops up again…I still can’t work out what one of those actually is…

    Liked by 1 person

  15. gracefuladdict Avatar

    Yes 🙌🏼 ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  16. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Danielle. I treasure my dad’s advice because it’s something each of us can do on our own—we don’t need to wait for anyone to act. As we both know, there are those who seem to enjoy relational subtraction and division. No matter, we can add and multiply. Bring on the exponents!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Gary. Now, I just need to consistently follow my own advice. ☺️

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Gary Fultz Avatar

    A great take on “life’s not fair” David. Love the comments from your great readers as well.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. gracefuladdict Avatar

    Fantastic! LOVE the wise words of your dad – life is just like that ❤️🙏💕

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Alan Kearns Avatar

    Thank you for your precious prayers brother 🙏

    Liked by 1 person

  21. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, brother. I hope your sermon was both well received and used by the Lord this morning. I prayed for you!

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Alan Kearns Avatar

    Excellent and very rich post David. I like the quotes both by Dr. King and Rumi; may we be encouraged to be lights in a dark world (Matthew 5:14-16). God bless you and your family today brother 🙏

    Liked by 1 person

  23. seeingliketheeagle Avatar

    I think your Dad’s quote is golden David. I’ll remember that 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  24. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Manette Kay. Yes, I still rely on my father’s wisdom. He was a student of human nature, who often expected the worst, but rarely lost faith in people. I am happy to say he also kept his faith in God. Thank you for stopping by today. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  25. musingsofmanettekay Avatar

    David, your dad’s quote is spot on. He was obviously a wise man. This is a great post with a lot of meat to chew on.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. jesusluvsall Avatar

    Didn’t know about the flooding sad to hear

    Liked by 1 person

  27. davidsdailydose Avatar

    We are tired. Just got back from a week in Vermont. The flooding there is pretty severe.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. jesusluvsall Avatar

    It has been good. How is your weekend?

    Liked by 1 person

  29. davidsdailydose Avatar

    The prayer of Saint Francis fits! Thanks, Matt. I hope you’re having a great weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

  30. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Nancy. Her name is Nancy.😊

    Liked by 1 person

  31. deborah w. farris Avatar

    Thank you for doing so! It’s wonderful! Blessings back (I’m sorry, I forget your wife’s name…) ☺️

    Liked by 1 person

  32. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Deb! I wrote this piece over two years ago, but it felt like a good time to post it again. I appreciate your encouraging words! God’s richest blessings to you, Todd, and family.

    Liked by 1 person

  33. deborah w. farris Avatar

    David, I’m tempted to print this out and tuck it inside my Bible in Micah 6 as I am so moved by your addition to acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly. Of course the whole piece is a shining jewel of wisdom. And there is so much in the thread of comments. What a wonderful world you create around you. Sorry about the gas guys. But look what that frustrating scenario produced! There is so much here. It’s a song to be sweetly sung in every heart. ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  34. jesusluvsall Avatar

    As I read your post I thought of the song Lord Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Jeff. I decided to repost this, after experiencing a that’s-not-fair episode yesterday afternoon. I prepaid for gasoline inside a convenience store, but then the gas pump would not activate. Back inside, two minutes later, both the clerk and manager acted like they thought I was lying. Finally, I said “Never mind” and left.

    Liked by 1 person

  36. Jeffrey H. King Avatar

    David, this was absolutely PACKED with wisdom! I need to reread it a few times to make sure I absorb it all! Thank you for a very concise and instructive piece!

    Liked by 3 people

  37. davidsdailydose Avatar

    My best guess is you are right about the Twinkies. Rain makes them soggy, but they refuse to dissolve. I enjoy Rumi’s quotes, as well.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. God Still Speaks Avatar

    I love the Rumi quote! And the Twinkies in the rain, I heard those things are so full of preservatives, they’d last for 1000’s of years, so I’d bet they would hold up in the rain. I guess we need to do a science project on it and record our findings to test your hypothesis.

    Liked by 2 people

  39. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thank you, Bridget! My dad was a wise man, for sure. A realist—unlike his idealist son—😊but a sincere person of faith. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  40. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Yes, I agree. The peace of Jesus is needed now greatly. Out in public it seems like many people are on edge—just waiting to go off. And online it’s not much better. Our oldest turns 30 this year, so I hear you on the adulting adults front, as well. Thanks for stopping by!

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Bridget A. Thomas Avatar

    So many good points in this post, David. And your dad’s comment word are golden. May we let our lights shine in this dark world! Blessings, brother! 🤗

    Liked by 1 person

  42. ladysheepdog Avatar

    The other day I was making a grocery list and my son walked by, so I asked, “Do you need anything on the grocery list?” He said, “twinkies”. Some of us in the house are working on making better health wise decisions, so I refused to buy them. So, I would say my son would like a twinkie in the rain. On a more serious note – I feel ya when you talk about being triggered by unfair situations, its everywhere. We have four children and have lived with the what’s fair and what’s not fair decision making process for years. I personally am tired of it in my type of situation as trying to make and buy, mostly edible items, enough for everyone to get the same amount, is just too much work nowadays. and since they are all in their twenties, I know I can say, “You want it, you buy it, or make it yourself.” Old habits die hard and growing up is difficult, so its still an issue in our household. And then when I have to go out in public and deal with all the unfair situations society is throwing at us….Jesus we need Your help right now….. right?

    Liked by 1 person

  43. ladysheepdog Avatar

    Though I was taken aback by your reference at first, the more I read of your blogs I could see our Loving Savior shine through. I was really enjoying your blogs and I am glad I took the plunge. Was looking forward to reading all of them, and as I said before, do what’s best for you and yours. Don’t feel pressure to reopen your blog site on my account. Hugs and Prayers. Jesus’ Blessings on you and your wife.

    Liked by 2 people

  44. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Wow! Your connection with the Schaffer family is intriguing. Yes, please send me the link. I’m also happy to talk haiku with you. Thank you, again.

    Liked by 1 person

  45. Majik Avatar

    Thank you again, David, this time for your reply to my comment. One correction, if I may be so bold. I always capitalize the “F” in “Friend” when referring to Jesus Christ as “my possibly imaginary Friend.” The “possibly imaginary” part admits my lack of the “certainty” a projected trait that offends some people, but my capitalizing the “F” in “Friend” professes my very real faith or trust in Him! The first time that I coined the phrase, it made Genie Schaeffer laugh when I was on the phone with her purchasing a painting by her life-long and “certainty”-bothered husband, Frank . . . the only son of Francis and Edith Schaeffer, who I never met but who were my mentors when I was a young and newly “born again” believer in Jesus Christ almost fifty years ago. I wrote about this on my blog, but I’ll email you that story since my blog is closed to the public for now. Peace, Joy & Love, Brother!

    Liked by 2 people

  46. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Greetings, Majik. Both your vulnerability and humility are like a breath of fresh air. As a person who also works in a helping profession (education) I relate to your potential burnout tendencies. After nearly 19 years teaching elementary music, I am a newly christened administrator. One of my first realizations has been this: almost everyone who comes to me wants something!

    I am not offended by your reference to Jesus as a possible imaginary friend. Of course, He is quite real, but how we experience him can be described in different ways. The main thing is recognizing both who He is and why He came. The theologian/philosopher/pastor Francis Schaeffer would not have been offended by your description of Jesus, either. Have you read his little classic, “Escape from Reason?”

    Well, I digress. Thank you for your helpful comment. Blessings to you, as well, brother. Please consider me your friend in Christ, and not your judge. 🙏❤️

    Liked by 2 people

  47. Majik Avatar

    Boy did I need to read this, David. I work a hard job representing our state’s agency that seeks to protect children who are suffering abuse or neglect. Therefore, I’m dealing with unfairness 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and it’s driven me into therapy for work-related vicarious trauma . . . and also deeper into the arms of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for writing this, and also for your other blog of haiku poetry, which I will now follow and try to write too. I’m sorry that you can’t read my blog right now because it’s under wraps at present. You may or may not like it. I refer to Jesus Christ as “my possibly imaginary Friend,” which description really annoys some people, which was never my intent. And for the life of me, I can’t see how this description is different than that by Blaise Pascal or the Hebrew Prophet Isaiah who wrote about a God who hides Himself. My blog started out to be about me and my life, and it’s wound up being about Him and His Life. It’s a little raw in places, but I hope that its honesty glorifies God and points people to Jesus. I may make it public again next year. We’ll see. However, I might start a new blog and try my hand at haiku poetry thereon. If I do, I’ll let you know. I love your “About Me” statement, “I’m just a regular guy who was tempted to lose all hope but did not. It was God who made the difference.” I can say “Amen!” to that. Micah 6:8 is one of my life verses and the bit of Bible upon which I’ve tried with varying degrees of success to base my long legal career that is now nearing the finish line . . . as is my life too, I guess, now that I’m 66 and a half years old. Your Dad was right. So was Rumi. I’m going to take those thoughts of theirs into my day and into my job. I would appreciate your prayers, Soul Brother. Thanks again!

    Liked by 2 people

  48. davidsdailydose Avatar

    Thanks for reading, and rereading, Pete! I believe my now 6yr old friend has moved, as his dad is in the US ARMY. He was a wise little chap indeed! I hope you have a great day. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  49. pastorpete51 Avatar

    Oh, I not only enjoyed this, but I also went back to reread your post from last year, “God Doesn’t Break Toys.” What a great reminder. Thanks, and thanks also to the now 6 year old wise man!

    Liked by 1 person

  50. davidsdailydose Avatar

    You’re welcome, Chris. Something happened yesterday that pushed my “That’s Not Fair” button. I remembered this post, and decided to dust it off and share it again. Thank you for reading and commenting. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  51. Chris G Thelen Avatar

    A great reminder. I certainly don’t want to be a Twinky in the rain! May God strengthen us to be His light in the darkness. Thanks for reposting.

    Liked by 3 people

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