Favor Ain’t Fair?

What do people mean by ‘favor ain’t fair?’

We’ve all heard this line of Christianese at some point, and we usually respond in agreement. It sounds obvious and true, but is it true? And what does it really mean?

If people mean that the favor of God isn’t fair because God Himself is not fair, then no — this does not hold true. Scripture tells us that God is not only impartial (Acts 10.34, Colossians 3.25) but that He is just (fair) and operates as such (Psalm 89.14).

What is true is that God’s favor is not necessarily equally distributed in all cases but His favor is fair because God is fair.

Joseph, for example, yielded more favor in the eyes of God in comparison to his older brothers (Genesis 39.3-5). So much so that they eventually needed him for their own provision (Genesis 42-45).

God is always the standard good and evil, what’s right or wrong, and ultimately, what’s fair or not.

Regardless of how and when God chooses to favor us, we never have to be envious of someone else’s favor or feel slighted because God always looks after His own (Psalm 37.28).