A January of prayer | Jan. 20 | finding the balance of justice and love as a Christian
A January of Prayer
| 20 January 2024
Something I am realizing more and more about myself these past few weeks is how truth and justice orientated my brain is. I have always loved truth. I want to know and understand things. Thats why the argument of “Creation vs Evolution” is so big to me and was honestly very defining in my faith journey. I want to understand things. I want to know what is true and what is not true. I want to know things so I can run forward with a clear mind. I have always known that truth was important to me…but it wasn’t until recently that I realized just how important justice is for me.
My dad actually is the one who brought this to my attention. There has been a lot happening the last few weeks. A lot of hurt. A lot of wrongs. A lot of injustice. A lot of lies and twists of the truth. Thats been hard.
For the past few weeks one of my main prayers has been for the truth to come to light. For God to bring the truth out in the open. For God’s truth to reign over this situation and all our lives. I want there to be truth. I need truth in my life. I need answers and to clearly see what is right.
I didn’t realize it until today really, but one of my prayers kinda not even realizing it has also been for justice. I want there to be justice done for all the wrongs that have happened. I don’t want people to get away with hurting and lying. I want there to be truth and justice.
This isn’t a bad thing to want. God is the God of Justice and Truth.
The thing is I have to remember something.
I have to remember that God is the God of justice. That God is in charge of it all. That justice and truth belong to Him. That it will be done…but in His timing and not my own. I can want things to be instant. Instant judgment. Instant payback. But then I am forgetting that God is also the God of love and mercy. He sent His son to die on the cross for our sin. He is merciful. He is loving. He is compassionate. He forgives us. He gives to us that what we don’t deserve. The payment of sin is death. All of us have sinned. All of us need God. All of us need His salvation and mercy. For me not to want someone else to have that is wrong. I need God. I need mercy. How much do these people need God and His mercy too? All of us need it including myself.
Aren’t we to pray for our enemies and those who wrong us as Jesus did? Aren’t we to have Jesus as an example of how we should live?
If so then we need to find a balance.
Jesus loved people and he forgave people. On the cross he prayed for those killing him. He had compassion for them. He could see that they did not understand what they were doing. He loved them.
Jesus also called out sin. He knocked over the tables in the temple…
He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” — Matthew 21:13
We—I—need to find a balance. A balance to stand up for what is right and to be able to call out what is wrong and bad but then to also show love and compassion and mercy to people even when you think they don’t deserve it. It’s a tricky balance and I have not yet figured it out but I know that Jesus is our example and if I am to follow him then I should find a balance. We are not to be passive. We are to be bold for Christ and to show his love.
And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. —Ephesians 6:19-20
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” —John 13:34-35
Jesus is our example. He showed love and compassion and mercy but he also called out wrongs and had justice done. He is our example. We (I personally) need to find a balance.
I want to go more into this topic soon! There was a Bible teaching that went into this that I loved and I’d love to share more soon and even go into “Bible personalities” and how I use that in writing! Till then, I’ll chat with you soon!
What I read…
- Psalm 107
- Psalm 108
Podcasting
Also, random topic but we just hit a milestone today! The Faith, Writing and Coffee Chats Podcast has reached 100 listens! Yay!!! <333
Thank you everyone who has listened!!! I’m so thankful for you and so excited to have hit this milestone with you all!
On writing
Today I hit a fun milestone in The Noble Oath! Hurray! We have hit 18,940 words making it an official novella!
To celebrate, here is an unedited quote from a chapter I wrote today!
Andreas awakes with a start. He could have sworn he heard something whispering in the wind. He sits up and rubs his eyes. Maybe he has been listening to too many songs and stories of the old kingdom. The tree spirits who sleep in times of peace but awaken to fight in times of battle, called by the Ever Ever—God—Himself. Or the trolls who hide in dark caves in the mountain who turn to rock when the light touches them, enemies of the Ever Ever.
The wind whistles in the trees who move and sway in the wind like they really could awaken any moment. The fire flickers and pops making him flinch. Yes, he probably has listened to too many stories.
Previous days…
- A January of Prayer
- Jan. 03 | the first real snow
- Jan. 04 | Practicing trusting God
- Jan. 05 | a living book
- Jan. 06 | prayer for protection & snow
- Jan. 07 | “what I have written I have written”
- Jan. 08 | good morning to you
- Jan. 09 | one of my favorite verses
- Jan. 10 | a sick day
- Jan. 11 | a sick day 2
- Jan. 12 | the sickness that shall not be named
- Jan. 14 | a month since grandpa passed
- Jan. 17 | my sister’s 15th birthday
- Jan. 18 | cleaning day w/ photos
- Jan. 19 | an editing day
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