arrogant – when it hurts

Recently, I substituted a class of 5th graders at a local public school. The teacher asked me to talk about the character trait “fairness” as part of the Positivity Project.

I asked if anyone had a personal story they would like to share about a time they thought they were being treated unfairly.

Almost every hand went up.

Every one of us would raise our hand, too.

Is there any one thing that is more hurtful? Genuinely being treated unfairly?

There are no pat answers for unfairness. But there are many scriptures offering real help to manage our feelings and understanding.

Unfortunately, it requires waiting in a very activity-driven world.

This doesn’t mean you should be used. There is a place for speaking up and addressing it.

But often, we find ourselves without a resolution. How do we live without becoming cynical, bitter, or miserable?

Unfairness in not relative. God cares about it. The arrogant or less compassionate often interpret for the rest of us but God has the final say.

He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. Psalm 9:8

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you. 2 Thessalonians 1:6

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

We think God doesn’t notice when he didn’t stop it or doesn’t fix it.

God doesn’t think the way we do. But he doesn’t leave us without a solution.

Life on earth will end.

Eternity is forever.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

road landscape nature forest — Photo by veeterzy on Pexels.com

I’ve always been drawn to the obscure.

Like the gal who works at Walmart, embarrassed by the eczema that covers every inch of her not covered by her blue uniform top with the sunny yellow symbol.

This day she was putting mums out on a table outside. I smiled and said hi. Not the kind of rote hi-how-are-you-nice-day greeting so many say.

But the I really care kind.

I’ve chatted briefly with her at the register, but not enough for her to necessarily recognize me.

She did, however, give me the Walmart greeting.

“Ohh I’m great now that the humidity is gone,” I said spreading out my arms looking into the sky.

“I’d rather have hot,” she replied. “Because when it cools off I know what’s coming (winter)”.

So we talked about the mums and then her face lit up as she told me I could find some huge multi color ones inside.

She let her guard down. It was a nice conversation and I thought how nice it would be to have her for a friend.

I wasn’t always like this.

I’ve always put other people first but I was very busy with my own responsibilities along with a dash of assuming rejection to bother with too much friendliness.

Life is different now and taking the time with a stranger feels very good.

There are so many people that are ignored, neglected, and disregarded.

And I don’t think, I know, this is who God sees, too.

I know because he talks about them all the time in the Bible.

God makes a point of resisting the arrogant, prideful and conceited who, for whatever reason, think they are better than others. The kind of people who assume too much and often give lip service but little action to back up their words.

If you are someone who fits the description of feeling like an outcast, just hang on to the truth of what God says.

Not what others have said.

Not what you think.

What God says.

It’s comforting.