There's a Flag on the Play
DEVOTIONS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS
Another season has come and gone. The big game is over and the Eagles have landed as champions!
But if you followed football this season, you know one story that dominated the conversation—and it wasn’t about the Eagles. It was about the men in black and white: the referees. Accusations flew that they had shown favoritism toward the Chiefs all season long. Allegations quickly gained momentum on social media, igniting a heated debate among fans: Can we really trust the calls being made on the field?!
It’s awful when questionable officiating threatens to ruin the game you love. But what if the feeling of unfair treatment extends far beyond the football field? What if the “calls” in your family, workplace, or even in the church, always seem to go against you? No matter how hard you try, a “flag is thrown,” and someone else gets the better deal. Sometimes it even seems like God is silent, allowing others to keep gaining unearned yardage. It’s a hopeless feeling to accept penalty after penalty.
If you can relate to this, you’re not alone. Unfair treatment is real, and it’s not just a “modern problem.” The Bible is full of stories where God's people faced incredibly unjust situations, yet they were called to trust in His ultimate fairness and timing.
Joseph – Flagged for Illegal Contact
Take Joseph, for example. His brothers literally sold him out, faked his death, and shipped him off to a foreign country. God didn’t just snap His fingers and fix everything right away. Joseph was falsely accused of an adulterous situation and thrown in prison for years. Through all this unfair treatment, however, Joseph never gave up on the Lord’s game plan (Genesis 50:20). He trusted God’s justice.
Paul – Flagged for Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Like Joseph, the apostle Paul was also wrongly imprisoned. He was criticized and misjudged for his behavior while simply telling others about Jesus. Paul knew what it was like to be treated unfairly, yet he responded by urging us to “Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying... Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone... never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.” (Romans 12)
Jesus – Flagged for Personal Fouls
And then there’s Jesus. The ultimate example of enduring unfair treatment. He was perfect. Sinless. The epitome of goodness and kindness. But He was falsely accused of things like breaking the Sabbath (John 9:16), blasphemy (John 10:33), sorcery (Matt 12:24) and treason (John 19:12). Eventually He was arrested, mocked, tortured, and sentenced to death. Talk about unfair treatment! Jesus didn’t deserve any of it, but He responded with the most radical grace: "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
The Game Isn’t Over
When life hands us an unfair scenario, what should we do? The world would tell us to fight back! Let everyone know how wronged we’ve been! Demand our rights! Of course, there may be times when we need to take a stand for what is right, but above all, God calls us to trust His timing.
Joseph got that. Despite years of suffering, he stayed in the game and waited for God's ultimate play to unfold. And it did. God elevated Joseph from the pit of betrayal to be one of the most powerful leaders in the ancient world. God sees the struggles that we face, as well. We may not understand why these things happen (Isaiah 55:8), but we can trust that God’s strategy and timing are flawless.
Respect the Other Team
As Christians, we’re called to be imitators of Jesus. His response to injustice is a challenge for all of us. Jesus didn’t create a scene at His trial. He didn’t complain about His rights or retaliate against those who schemed against Him (even though He certainly had the power to do so). Instead, He showed compassion and forgiveness.
In Matthew 5:44, Jesus calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. It’s not easy, but when we stop focusing on “getting what we deserve” and trust God to bring justice, we’ll be amazed at how He works on our behalf. God will put us where He wants, even when others are working against us (Psalm 75:7).
Stats in the Record Book
When we’re treated unfairly, we often become so focused on the issues that we forget this world isn’t our final destination. In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Paul reminds us: "For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!”
The next time life throws a questionable flag on you, take a step back and ask yourself: “Am I trusting God with this?” Choose patience over retaliation, grace over bitterness. Trust that the Lord is working behind the scenes, even in tough times.
God is shaping you through these struggles and preparing you for a future with Him where there will be no more frustration or inequity. Your faithfulness in handling injustice will be rewarded for eternity. We may not even see the extent of God’s master plan in our lifetime, but in the end, His strategy will always prevail on the scoreboard.
“God is pleased when, conscious of His will, you patiently endure unjust treatment.” 1 Peter 2:19.
- Ron Reid