“Everything He does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright He is!” (Deuteronomy 32:4)
“It’s not fair,”
our three-year-old granddaughter announced as she crossed her arms and stuck out her bottom lip.
“Sorry, honey, you can’t have it,”
I said to her. Again she announced,
“It’s not fair.”
Then, when pouting didn’t work, she changed her attitude to charm.
“Please, Grandma, can I have it?”
she asked with her sweetest voice and smile. My answer to her was the same.
I laughed because she looked so cute, and also because of the naivety of her statement. Of the billions of children in the world, she is probably in the top 10 percent when it comes to resources. She has everything she could possible need — a loving and praying family, health, a warm place to live, clean water, and plenty of food to eat. She has more clothes and toys than she could ever use. And yet she pouted because she couldn’t have her way.
Even as I was laughing at her, the Holy Spirit quickly convicted me of the many times I have had the same attitude. Childish behavior isn’t just for children! Oh, of course, adults don’t cross their arms and stick out their bottom lip, but we have our ways of pouting. We give people the silent treatment, we slam doors, and we yell. At what age is it acceptable to pout when we can’t get what we want?
How can we change and become the kind of people God wants us to be — possessing an attitude of gratitude? It is simple, but difficult. We have to give up the control of our lives to Christ. When Christ is in control, He produces the fruit of the Spirit in us — love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23)
The next time you find yourself thinking or saying, “That’s not fair!” confess your ungrateful attitude to the Lord and ask Him to take control of your life again.
Father, so often, we revert to childish behavior and don’t call it what it is — SIN. Help us not to rationalize our sinful attitudes, but admit them and confess them and ask You to take control of our lives again. Amen.