Into Thy Word -
The Character of Fairness
Is the Character of Fairness working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Fairness from God’s most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself:
- How do I exhibit Fairness in my daily life?
- What can I do to develop a better attitude of Fairness?
- What can block Fairness from operating from my life?
- How can I make Fairness function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?
Fairness (Psalm 73; Prov. 17:26; Matthew 7:12; John 7:24; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; 10:12; James 2:1) sees a situation from the viewpoint of each person involved and not just our own. It seeks the best, just, equable solution, even if it hurts us. It does not seek to please one over another, nor does it seek more than is needed. Fairness is not insisting on having our rights over someone else’s!
Unfairness, Injustice, and Bias are the opposites. They cause us to act with prejudice towards others in our thinking and actions! It would be like one person insisting on denying the others something they want or need because it may offend him (that is not sin). One example would be denying the Pledge of Allegiance to a nation because of the objection of a few!
· Here are positive examples from Scripture (Lev. 19:13-18; Duet. 16:18-20; Acts 10:23-48; 15:6-11; Rom. 2:2 -16)
· Here are negative examples from Scripture (Is. 53:1-12; Amos 5:11-12; Luke 23: 39-43; James 2:1-9)
Further Questions
- How would you define Fairness?
- What are the things that cause you to be biased toward others?
- How does being biased counteract Fairness?
- What happens to our relationships with God and others when we are prejudiced toward others who are different from us?
- When have you been filled with Fairness the most?
- In what situation should you have been Fair, but failed to be?
- What issue is in your life that would improve with more Fairness?
- Think through the steps you need to take to put Fairness into action in a specific instance. Such as, how can you prepare to settle a situation that may come up by being impartial, listening, and examining all of the facts? Or, how can you avoid being a person who is prejudiced toward others? Consider how fairly you treat others, and then make the needed changes to align yourself with God’s Word.
Fairness is how we are to judge and handle situations with respect and uniformity, even when they may be not fair to us. When you think this through, why should I take the unfair cut, we have to realize, God is that way with us! God is not a fair God, and He is certainly not fair with us! That is right, because grace is not fair because we receive an incredible gift we did not earn or deserve. Thus, this is unfair to God, yet He gives it to us anyway! Consider your dealings and season your fairness with grace. This will show the world that what Christ would have me do is to be honest and impartial. If you are claming Christ as Lord, especially in the public arena, people will see Christ as you behave, solve problems, relate, and interact! Thus, you cannot be selfish or show partiality, nor can you deny justice.
Remember; A Christian lifestyle requires fairness! A Christian who is prejudiced is operating diametrically opposed to God’s Will as revealed in Scripture!
More verses to study:
Proverbs 1:1-3 and 29:14 - Helping people to be fair
Jeremiah 5:1 - The importance of one person who is fair
Luke 23:40, 41 – The thief on the cross recognizes what is fair
2 Thessalonians 1:4-6 - God is fair
James 2:1-7 - Showing favoritism is forbidden
© 2002 R. J. Krejcir Into Thy Word Ministries www.intothyword.com
