Not Fair!

(Parts of this article were borrowed from my friend and Christian brother Larry Robertson.)

Even if you’re not a fan of professional football, you’ve probably heard
that the New Orleans Saints were robbed of the opportunity to compete in
this year’s Superbowl. This is not just my opinion as a Saints fan; it’s a
verifiable fact. Late in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship game
between the Saints and the LA Rams, the score was tied. Saints quarterback
Drew Brees threw a pass to wide receiver Tommylee Lewis. Rams cornerback
Nickell Robey-Coleman made sure the pass was incomplete by running into
Lewis with a helmet to helmet collision while the ball was in the air. Had
the referee thrown a flag for pass interference, the Saints would have
gotten the ball on the five yard line with first and goal to go. Even if
New Orleans had failed to score a touchdown after that, they could have run
the clock down, attempted an easy field goal with just seconds remaining on
the clock and won the game. But for reasons that are still unknown, no flag
was thrown. The fans in attendance, the coaches and players on the field,
and millions of viewers around the world saw the foul. Even the NFL later
admitted that pass interference should’ve been called. Nickell
Robey-Coleman himself even acknowledged that it looked like a foul to him.
But, per league rules, judgment calls like pass interference are not
subject to video review. So New Orleans had to kick a field goal on the
very next play, giving the Rams time to answer with a score of their own to
tie the game, send the contest into overtime and ultimately defeat the
Saints. One commentator summed up this whole mess in one simple statement:
Life’s not fair.

That’s one of the most basic life lessons that parents should teach their
children, teachers should share with their students, and coaches should
remind their players; because we all experience it soon enough on our own.
I know I have. But at least if you’re expecting it (as much as you can
expect the unexpected), the reality of it all won’t knock the breath out of
you when you get kicked in the gut. Life’s not fair.

In Genesis 39, Joseph was falsely accused of sexual assault by his
employer’s wife but only because he refused her relentless sexual advances.
Joseph did the right thing. Yet he was thrown into prison by his employer,
Potiphar, who understandably believed his wife’s false narrative.
Life’s not fair.

“…But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him…”
(Genesis‬ ‭39:20-21‬). Life’s not fair; that’s true. But the LORD is
faithful: He’s faithful in His presence…He’s faithful in His
providence…He’s faithful in His promises.

I really believe that one reason some people “lose faith” in God is
because they mistakenly think that God’s will is always to manipulate
circumstances for people of faith so that they live a comfortable life
without a care in the world. And certainly no one will ever be able to push
you down without a penalty! But that’s as false a narrative as Potiphar’s
wife’s.

Read Romans 8:31-39. Read the list of hardships that Paul detailed. Take
note, though, of verse 37. “…in all these things we are more than
conquerors…” Not “in THE ABSENCE OF all these things,” but “IN all these
things.” Listen, life’s not fair. And I’m not sure if God really cares who
plays in the Superbowl every year. But the LORD is faithful. So, count on
that…