Righteousness and Justice

A little while ago, something bad happened to a friend of mine, and I felt really angry about it. In fact I was more than angry – I was really incensed. However, it wasn’t the sort of problem that I could do anything about, other than pray for my friend and the other people involved. Of course, the fact that I couldn’t do anything didn’t stop me indulging in a silly daydream about exactly what I might say to the person concerned if I ever met them!

However I could feel the Holy Spirit gently rebuking me – daydreaming about the unrealistic, rude things I would say in an imaginary world is not godly behaviour! So I did something a bit more intelligent instead – I asked God a question. This was my question: “What do you think about this situation with my friend, Lord?”
I didn’t actually go on to say this, but somewhere in my thinking was: “don’t you agree with me God? Surely you can see why I’m right!”

I started to read my Bible and was quickly drawn to today’s verse: "The Lord loves righteousness and justice." I couldn’t read on. I kept being drawn back to those words. At first I didn’t see the point, but as I thought about that verse, suddenly I saw that it was His answer to my question.

When we’re angry, we’re concerned about justice. That’s good, because the Lord loves justice. But sometimes when we’re concerned about justice, we may forget righteousness. Just as I did with my unrighteous day dreaming. Just as people do when they blow themselves up as bombs, maiming others, ruining innocent lives in their quest for justice. Just as many of us do when we get angry. Have you ever reacted to injustice in an unrighteous way?

The Lord loves both righteousness and justice. He loves them equally. We get it out of balance don’t we? If we become concerned about righteousness, we may neglect justice. We may treat other people badly in our zeal to maintain righteous standards and morals.
But God doesn’t become unbalanced. He loves both righteousness and justice equally. He wants us to uphold both, not to favour one. How wonderful it would be if we got that balance right! If we responded righteously to injustice. If we dealt with unrighteousness, rather than ignoring it, but did so without any unfairness or injustice.

Let’s not point fingers at someone else. Let’s ask the Lord to search our own hearts today. Let’s ask the one who loves both righteousness and justice equally, to show us how to find that godly balance. Let’s love them equally, just as our loving Father does.

Prayer: Lord I confess that I don’t love righteousness and justice in the same way that you do. I tend to favour one over the other. Please would you search my heart and show me, both now and in the future, whenever I get these out of godly balance. Forgive me for pointing the finger at others when you’re speaking to me. Thank you, Lord, for your wonderful, balanced, righteous justice. Help me to be like you. I trust you. Amen.