Righteous
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken" (Psalm 55:22).
Righteousness is a tricky thing, it seems. Like humility, if you think you have it, you probably don't. The Hebrew word used in this psalm isn't just about following a list of rules, or acting in a particularly "holy" way (however that is determined by your culture). We've seen all sorts of that interpretation—from the way you wear your hair or the clothes you wear or the music you listen to. In one community I lived in, "holiness" or "righteousness" was in part determined by the way you dressed—women were not allowed to wear slacks but were mandated to wear skirts or dresses instead. In another community, people determined the righteous person from the unrighteous by where a person ate—the rule was that no righteous person would be seen in a bar (even if they weren't drinking). It's easy to fixate on the externals, but that's the main problem Jesus had with the Pharisees. They were all about the externals, but were they righteous?
This word in the psalm isn't about the externals. It's about the way you live. The word can mean either "righteousness" (as it's translated here) or "justice." Justice is not necessarily about the law, either (which gets into externals again). Justice is about doing the right thing, living in a way that is consistent with God's principles, God's design for human beings. Justice is about treating others fairly. Justice is about seeking wholeness, forgiveness and reconciliation (shalom) in everything. Justice isn't about who's right and who's wrong—because, ultimately, as Paul points out, we all have sinned and fallen short of God's standard (Romans 3:23). Justice is about living consistently, ethically, "God-ly."
It's easy to get wrapped up in the externals. It's easier to judge those things. It's far more difficult for us to assess someone else's righteousness if it has to do with justice and ethics and moral living—which is, I would guess, why we're not called to be the judge. God is the judge, and he is the one who will do right (see Genesis 18:25). But the promise is, when we seek to live according to God's standards and not our own, he will sustain us. He will not let us fall. No matter how it appears now, he will keep us steady even when life seems out of control.
What one step will you take today to live a more righteous (justice-centered) life? And what will you do to give up the role of judge to the One to whom it rightfully belongs?
Righteousness is a tricky thing, it seems. Like humility, if you think you have it, you probably don't. The Hebrew word used in this psalm isn't just about following a list of rules, or acting in a particularly "holy" way (however that is determined by your culture). We've seen all sorts of that interpretation—from the way you wear your hair or the clothes you wear or the music you listen to. In one community I lived in, "holiness" or "righteousness" was in part determined by the way you dressed—women were not allowed to wear slacks but were mandated to wear skirts or dresses instead. In another community, people determined the righteous person from the unrighteous by where a person ate—the rule was that no righteous person would be seen in a bar (even if they weren't drinking). It's easy to fixate on the externals, but that's the main problem Jesus had with the Pharisees. They were all about the externals, but were they righteous?
This word in the psalm isn't about the externals. It's about the way you live. The word can mean either "righteousness" (as it's translated here) or "justice." Justice is not necessarily about the law, either (which gets into externals again). Justice is about doing the right thing, living in a way that is consistent with God's principles, God's design for human beings. Justice is about treating others fairly. Justice is about seeking wholeness, forgiveness and reconciliation (shalom) in everything. Justice isn't about who's right and who's wrong—because, ultimately, as Paul points out, we all have sinned and fallen short of God's standard (Romans 3:23). Justice is about living consistently, ethically, "God-ly."
It's easy to get wrapped up in the externals. It's easier to judge those things. It's far more difficult for us to assess someone else's righteousness if it has to do with justice and ethics and moral living—which is, I would guess, why we're not called to be the judge. God is the judge, and he is the one who will do right (see Genesis 18:25). But the promise is, when we seek to live according to God's standards and not our own, he will sustain us. He will not let us fall. No matter how it appears now, he will keep us steady even when life seems out of control.
What one step will you take today to live a more righteous (justice-centered) life? And what will you do to give up the role of judge to the One to whom it rightfully belongs?
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