How to Offer the Peace of Jesus through the Pain of Injustice
- Jennifer Heeren Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- Published Aug 11, 2020
The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. – Psalm 9:9
God loves justice and the whole earth is full of His steadfast love (Psalm 33:5). However, people don’t always think or act this way. People have the free will to live under any inclination that they feel is right. And our judgment of these inclinations can be skewed toward selfishness and even evil. Corrupt people can feel justified in using excessive force even when the facts don’t necessitate it. I don’t know why God allows certain injustices to take place, but He certainly doesn’t condone those instances.
God created every single person in each nation throughout the earth in His own image. He created us with the wherewithal to seek after a relationship with Him. He is not far from any of us and He allows trials, tribulations, and even injustices to get our attention. When we pay attention to our Creator, we then long for a deep and loving relationship with Him. And when we seek that, we find it. Then we are made righteous in God’s eyes, not because we did anything, but because He covered our sins with Jesus’ blood. Then we have the ability to live in unity with the other people on the planet (our neighbors).
With God, unity and pure justice are possible. When people refuse to look to God with the respect He so rightfully deserves, they inevitably look to themselves. Therein lies the problem. When we look only to ourselves, we are easily deceived with evil whims. But God can replace our stony hearts with new hearts and new spirits (Ezekiel 36:26). God chooses to renew people one at a time because He wants that newness to penetrate our entire being. A newness that makes us more soft, pliable, and humble. Doing acts of injustice become more and more unthinkable the more we know and love God.
Trusting a Just God amidst Injustice
I pray for a revival of even more renewed people because injustice and wickedness is running rampant. People are lovers of themselves, money, their own reflection, their career, and they often seek after only what brings them pleasure. This mindset, when taken to the extreme, can lead to atrocious acts of injustice, and even murder.
However, don’t be deceived. God cannot be mocked. Whatever one sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:7).
God is always on His throne. He is always sovereign. Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity (Proverbs 22:8).
We can and should pray for God’s justice to prevail in every situation, but we can’t get stuck on our own version of that justice. God knows best what punishment is best in any given situation. Vengeance is His and only He can handle it. When we attempt revenge, we often get burned in the process.
What are we supposed to do? We shouldn’t avenge injustices ourselves but there are things that we can do.
What God Calls Us to Do
The Lord hates injustice and will eventually shine his light of truth on every corrupt situation. But in the meantime, he has placed us here to be his hands and make injustices known when we see them. We step out of a cowering position and speak out against injustice. Nowadays, almost all of us have the capability to quickly film wrongful acts so that prosecutors have tangible evidence. A video is worth a thousand words.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God – Micah 6:8
1. Act Justly
We can act justly by taking action whenever possible. Some of us are called to be lawyers or judges so that we can uphold God’s principles in our courts. Some are called to be police officers and stop violence in its tracks. Some are called to be journalists in order to get to the truth of a given situation. Most of us are simply called to report injustices to authorities. When I see something, I should say something to someone.
2. Love Mercy
When we act justly, we are also showing mercy. There is always a victim to all unjust situations, and we need to defend the rights of the poor and needy. To do or say nothing is like giving aid to the perpetrator. It’s always loving to speak out against evil.
3. Walk Humbly with your God
When we learn from God, we become more and more like Him. We begin to see things like He sees them. We may see more injustices because our sensitivity to them will be heightened. This world is so upside down that we don’t always notice all of the evil until we see it from God’s viewpoint. Stay near to Him and His Word and He will show you what’s right and wrong.
Remember Job, and Pray for Justice to Prevail
We can remember Job 5:8-16 and have hope. We can know that:
- God does great things that are too marvelous to understand.
- He performs countless miracles.
- He gives prosperity to the poor and protects those who suffer.
- He frustrates the plans of schemers so the work of their hands will not succeed.
- He traps the wise in their own cleverness so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
- He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong.
- He rescues them from the clutches of the powerful.
God is wholeheartedly about loosing the bonds of wickedness, letting the oppressed go free, and breaking every yoke of bondage (Isaiah 58:6). We can trust Him, His methods, and His timing. We should always pray for justice to prevail—even when we have to pray the same thing over and over again. Even when it seems to fall flat on a corrupt person in authority.
If we persist, God can cause that person to be so bothered by the constant interruption that he gives you the justice you so desperately want. (See the Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-8.)
It usually isn’t easy to act righteously in a world that is full of injustice. But we must do it anyway. We must do the hard things even if our first instinct is to be afraid. Doing hard things requires us to avail ourselves of God’s strength, not cower or run away. God’s strength enables us to do impossible things like standing up against every injustice.
And after the perpetrator is held accountable, God’s strength also gives us the power to love our enemies and forgive people who aren’t sorry. This is important because if we become bitter victims, the enemy has won.
When you see someone being wronged—do something, say something, and/or call for help. Pray for everyone involved in the incident. Pray for God to make people’s hearts new. Pray that God brings good out of the horrible situation. Pray that the guilty see the error of their ways and that the oppressed are set free. Pray for healing and unity for all people.
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14
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Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/fizkes
