Perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of a child shouting this at you. Often this statement is the result of the child feeling slighted or left out of something. And at the heart of this exclamation is their desire for you, the authority, to make sure things are equal, right, and fair for everyone. At sporting events (remember those), grown men are looking for essentially the same thing as they yell, “C’mon, Ref!” It’s our innate desire to make sure that people or teams are treated equally – especially US and OUR teams.
It’s important to recognize this internal drive for fairness stems from the image of God which has been imprinted onto each and every one of us from the moment we were created. You see, we worship a God of justice, a God of holiness, and a God who is perfect in all his ways. And he has put a desire to experience justice into each of our hearts.
The problem is that sin has marred our internal compasses. We have lost track of what is fair and what is right. We tend not to be very objective when evaluating if people are treating us fairly. I can think of numerous times I felt like I wasn’t being treated fairly, but when trying to prove my point actually proved that factually, I had nothing to complain about. But I digress…
All this brings me to my main point – as God’s children on this earth, given God’s nature inside us, we are called to bring God’s justice and fairness to all of God’s creation. And while we may be really good at looking out for ourselves and our own families — and making sure we are treated fairly — God wants more from us. He wants us to be people who seek justice for everyone! We are called to extend God’s fairness to all the dark corners of this earth.
The problem is that in so many ways, injustice remains hidden from our lives. Yes, we may occasionally come face to face with a social injustice we should help correct, but much more often the injustices are systematic and imperceivable to the masses. Without seeking to educate ourselves on these injustices, we go along with the flow, sometimes even contributing to the inequality in people’s lives.
So today I challenge you to spend some extra time thinking about an injustice in this world that you are passionate about or one you would like to learn more about and do the following:
Take time to pray for those who are facing that specific injustice and for God’s justice to prevail.
Educate yourself more on this injustice – perhaps by searching for organizations that fight against it or watching a documentary on Netflix about it.
Join the fight and move beyond awareness of an issue to actively engaging in bringing God’s justice and fairness to all people on this earth.
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
Take a Moment to REFLECT
- Where in this world do you see injustice that makes you feel deep sadness or anger?
- Did you know that God experiences the same sadness and anger for that very same issue. Take a moment to reflect on the fact that God hates the same injustices you hate. How does that make you feel about God?
- What is one action item you will take today to educate yourself further about the injustice you want to join God in correcting?
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