Choosing Love Today: Enduring Faith - Episode 16: When Faith feels Unfair

Today's walk thru Romans will be one that everyone should have an interest in because everyone of us have uttered the words “It's not fair” at some or time in our life. Today, I want to talk about something Paul touches on often — something every one of us has felt: and that was faith in seasons that feel unfair. And to see it clearly, I want to walk with Joseph for a moment. This is the Joseph from the Old Testament, not the Joseph that was Jesus' earthly father. You can read about the life of Joseph in the Old Testament in the Book of genesis chapters 37 through 50. Joseph’s story is one of those stories we tend to summarize too quickly. We jump from the pit to the palace and say, “See? God worked it out.” But if you slow down and actually sit inside his story, you realize Joseph spent years — not days, not weeks — years living through things that were deeply unfair. He’s betrayed by his brothers. Sold into slavery. Falsely accused of rape and thrown into prison. Forgotten by people who promised to help him. None of that was his fault. None of that was the result of bad choices. None of that was fair. And yet, right in the middle of all that unfairness, Joseph keeps choosing faith. Not loud faith. Not dramatic faith. Just steady, quiet trust in God’s presence. Paul says in Romans that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Joseph lived that long before Paul wrote it. His life is a slow, patient picture of what endurance looks like when life doesn’t make sense. And here’s what I love about Joseph: He doesn’t pretend everything is fine. He doesn’t act like the pain doesn’t matter. He doesn’t minimize what’s been done to him. But he also doesn’t let unfairness define him. He keeps serving. He keeps trusting. He keeps showing up. He keeps believing that God is still writing the story — even when the chapter he’s in feels wrong. And maybe that’s where you are today. Maybe you’re dealing with something that isn’t fair. Maybe you’re carrying a weight you didn’t choose. Maybe you’re facing consequences from someone else’s decisions. Maybe you’re in a season that feels longer than you expected. My friend...If that’s you, hear this clearly: Unfair doesn’t mean abandoned. Unfair doesn’t mean forgotten. Unfair doesn’t mean God is done. Joseph eventually sees what God was doing — not just in his life, but through his life. But he didn’t see it while he was in the pit. He didn’t see it while he was in prison. He didn’t see it while he was waiting. He saw it later. And that’s often how God works. We understand the story in hindsight, not in real time. So as you move through your day today, if life feels unfair, don’t assume God has stepped back. Don’t assume your story has stalled. Don’t assume the chapter you’re in is the whole book. God is still working. God is still present. God is still shaping something in you — and through you — that you may not see yet. Enduring faith isn’t about pretending everything is fair. It’s about trusting God when it isn’t.   Thank you for taking the time to listen. My heart-felt prayer is that you would take the time to share this message with someone today and remember to always... Keep Choosing Love Today.