Living Justly
Zechariah 7: 8-10, NIV
And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty said: “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.”
Yesterday, we were reminded that we worship a God of justice. Today’s passage makes it clear that God calls all of us, his people, to practise justice as we follow him.
Yesterday's word ‘mishpat’ is used for doing justice, and, today, the same groups of people are mentioned as being particularly on God’s mind. These parallels show that when we practise justice for the oppressed, we reflect God’s character to the world around us - whether that’s by choosing to volunteer with ministries like Love Your Neighbour, giving to charities addressing issues across the globe, or merely building relationships with and bearing the burdens of those experiencing injustice.
I’m struck by how this action must flow from ‘mercy and compassion.’ A feeling of obligation only gets us so far.
As Christians, we don’t have to practise justice to prove ourselves righteous. Which is good news - I know that I wouldn’t pass that test! Jesus has met us in our brokenness and made us righteous in a way we never could through good works.
But we’re still called to practise justice as God’s people. Rather than being motivated by obligation, this should come from the Spirit sharing with us his never-ending mercy and compassion for those experiencing injustice. We are inspired and moved by the Spirit of Jesus to partner with him in healing brokenness wherever it is found.
So, why not ask God to highlight an area of injustice to you, and ask him to give you his mercy and compassion for the people experiencing it? It’s by his power that we can be moved into loving action - and I believe that this is essential if we want to be light for our locality and beyond.
Prayer - Lord, I want to follow you wholeheartedly, and if that involves practising justice, I’m all in. Please show me where I can make a difference and give me the compassion necessary to move into action that can be sustained.