Politicians Stole This Idea from God
Rachel Nafziger
Every day I get mail from political candidates.
They tell me the political system is broken, but they can fix it. They promise to bring justice to Washington and change the world through new, improved policies. All I have to do is vote for them.
It is easy to think about the pursuit of justice as just another political agenda or position, but it is far more. Long before the Civil Rights Movement or women’s suffrage, God commanded His people to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8).
As followers of Jesus, we should care about justice because God cares about justice. He has called us to make a difference in a fallen, unjust world (Matthew 5:13-16). While we do this primarily through sharing the Gospel, we also need to embrace our mission to defend and uphold the dignity and well-being of all people, especially the poor and powerless.
What Is Pursuing Justice?
Pursuing justice is more than using hashtags or posting angry rants on Facebook. It involves giving all people what they are due as loved and valued beings created in God’s image. This encompasses righting wrongs, treating all people equally, and protecting and caring for those who cannot protect or care for themselves.
Pursuing justice requires sacrifice and can be carried out in any number of ways:
- helping communities rebuild after a natural disaster
- paying for the education of a child in a developing country
- rescuing victims of human trafficking
- opening our homes to foster children
- advocating for victims of abuse
- changing social conditions that make injustice possible
4 Practical Ways You Can Pursue Justice
If you feel overwhelmed by the idea of pursuing justice, you are not alone. Here are some practical steps you can take to get started:
1. Pray to see the world as God sees it.
You will miss opportunities to pursue justice if you are too distracted or busy to see the world as God sees it.
Get to know people who are nothing like you and listen to their stories. Pray for God to open your eyes to injustice. See things as they are, then imagine them as God intended them to be. When you do this, He will open your eyes and break your heart for what breaks His.
2. Learn about injustice.
Once God opens your eyes to the injustices around you, take time to learn about them. Many injustices in our world are complicated and unfamiliar. The more you know about an issue, the more effective you can be at resolving it.
You cannot do everything, but you can do something.
Don’t ignore the knowledge and experiences of those who have been working for years to address a problem. Jesus warned, “If the blind lead the blind, they both fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14).
3. Discover your role.
As you learn about issues of injustice, look for how you can best fit into the solution. God has uniquely gifted and equipped you for service (Ephesians 2:10).
If you are a lawyer, represent victims of injustice who cannot afford one. If you are talented writer, expose injustice through the power of the written word. Embrace your role in pursuing justice, no matter how insignificant it seems.
4. Do something.
Learning about injustice is not enough. You must act. Proverbs 3:27 says: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.” You cannot do everything, but you can do something. What you consider a small gesture could literally be the difference between life and death for someone else.
Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.
Contact a local organization or ministry that helps those who are vulnerable in your community. If you don’t know where to start, find your local United Way and look through its list of partner agencies or funding recipients. You can also find useful information on global efforts from organizations like International Justice Mission and the A21 Campaign.