JUSTICE RIGHT NOW

“How blessed are those who maintain justice, who practice righteousness at all times” (Psalm 106:3).

How unfortunate it is that so many have allowed the biblical vision of justice to be hijacked and defined by career politicians, who, for exploitive purposes, reduce its comprehensive scope down to divisive slogans captured on t-shirts, yard signs, and bumper stickers. While such sophomoric antics will appease the conscience, and offer the appearance of advocacy, such a privileged approach means never having to be sullied by the complexities and extensive brokenness populating the intersection of human affairs. In scripture, justice and righteousness are inextricably bound together; justice being maintained only when we act, always, the right way right now.

A PERSISTENT PARENT

“My heart is turned over within Me, all My compassions are kindled. I will not execute My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath” (Hosea 11:8b-9).

Hosea 11 is God’s description of what it’s like having Israel as a child. While there is the ever-present tension between wrath and mercy, which every parent understands, what trumps God’s fury is his tender compassion. The temptation is to hear this and think, “This is the kind of parent I should be with my troublesome child.” Doing so, however, is to “read” oneself into the text in a way never intended. This is no lesson on general parenting. This is God’s story and we are the rebellious child. I am Israel and so are you. Our Father is compassionately redeeming us.

GOD’S PICK

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4).

The significance of being chosen by God is best appreciated from those life-experiences when we were not chosen. Whether it was on the playground, the senior prom dream date, applying to a certain school, or interviewing for a job, we all have known rejection. These wounding experiences are made all the more painful because they are based upon performance in comparison to others. God picked you before you did anything worth even evaluating. He chose you because of who He is.

KEEP GOING AND GROWING

“I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father” (1 John 2:13).

Distraught? Depressed? Disappointed? Disillusioned? Keep going! You are at a critical stage. To turn away and go another direction when confronted by negative emotions is to miss the opportunity for growth and maturity in the life of faith; something the path of least resistance can never offer. This is why the New Testament speaks of spiritual babies, the need to mature, and why John writes his first epistle to all ages within the church. The Christian faith is not a point in time, but a continuing journey that is never always the same; it has a beginning, a continuing, and an ending at the return of Christ. Only by keeping going do you keep growing.

REMAIN FAITHFULLY

“Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary” (Galatians 6:9).

The persevering endurance of God’s faithful is a recurring theme in the writings of Paul, appearing some ten times. Here, it is connected to the principle of sowing and reaping (v.8). As the apostle looks ahead to the return of Christ, the consummation of the age, and the final judgement, the promise is that by continuing in the sowing of His good work, one can be certain of good fruit being revealed. The promise, however, is based upon the premise that one must persist through the present season of discouragement, disillusionment, and disappointment, until the arrival of the due time.

CLINGING TO GOD’S GOOD

“Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary” (Galatians 6:9).

The good of which Paul writes isn’t just a moral good, but it is the good work we are called to live out; that bears testimony to the kingdom of God here and now. Instead of being entrapped by what the world holds forth as good, we must be all the more committed to a good defined by God. In this alone will we continue on with perseverance. Any work done to satisfy ego and self eventually becomes tiresome and will not stand the test of time.

RESPOND APPROPRIATELY

“Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary” (Galatians 6:9).

Being rich in meaning and implication, this verse is deserving of consideration from many angles. When addressing an attitude of discouragement, Paul affirms that this is an inappropriate response to the life and work to which we are called as followers of Christ. Knowing that Satan is the father of lies (Jn. 8:44), and that God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 8:44), it is at this very point faith must be exercised. To give such thoughts any consideration at all only perpetuates the negative, and pulls one deeper into the quagmire of despair. Faith, therefore, counteracts these negative invasions with a determination that says, “Whatever happens I will continue on. I will not give up, give in, or give way to my emotions, feelings, and moods.”

TO WHAT DO YOU ASCRIBE

“Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength, ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering and come into His courtyards (Psalm 96:7-8).

We all ascribe to something. That is, what we are, and what we are becoming, can be attributed to something or someone. Ascribing to the Lord glory and strength, we deny and disconnect ourselves from a world that desires, no less, to be affirmed and “glorified” by the lives we pursue. By embracing the admonition of the psalmist, we are accomplishing the necessary work of discipleship described by Paul, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing our your mind” (Romans 12:2). When glory is ascribed to the Lord, it will be reflected in where you go and what you bring.

TEAM CONCEPT

“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another (Romans 12:4-5).

Paul’s words to the church at Rome sound similar to the words of any coach to any team: Only by everyone doing their job, executing their tasks, performing in a way that maximizes potential and God-given talents, is our missional objective accomplished. Those who set themselves apart from the team are referred to as “prima donnas.” The church is a team whose roster occupies the streets of our communities. Every member is a starter with no second-team to back you up.  Either you play or we lose.

FINANCIAL PLANNING

“Honor the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all your produce” (Proverbs 3:9).   

The best remedy for both human greed and debt management is the biblical principle of giving.  It’s an unexpected dichotomy; that through a disciplined and rhythmic pattern of giving I become a better manager of what remains, and by divesting of earthly possessions I honor the Lord and lay up treasures in heaven. I’m convinced that hesitancy in giving is rarely connected to the desire for luxury or large reserves but, rather, it is a matter of trust. Giving is never an issue of affordability but, rather, our trust in God’s dependability.