How do you know when to fight for yourself and when to stand down?
Since my physiotherapy-induced knee injury, I’ve learnt a great deal about justice, mercy and forgiveness.
I hope this helps you crush the false narrative that to be a good Christian simply means to flip a switch to let go and move on.
Because what God requires is far more nuanced- and simple at the same time. While many of us try to outwardly appear like we’ve forgiven and moved on, we burn on the inside, whereas what God requires is exactly the opposite- we ought to pursue justice fervently on the outside, yet maintain warmth and compassion on the inside.
While God sent me a stranger who was a lawyer to advocate for me probono, no outcome was reached. No compensation was dispensed. But I felt God challenge me- would I choose to intentionally pursue justice, even at my inconvenience, for the greater good, and yet still leave room for God’s vindication?
Reading this blew my mind-
“And so the biblical doctrine of Judgement Day, far from being a gloomy idea, enables us to live with both hope and grace. If we accept it, we get hope and incentive to work for justice.
For no matter how little success we may have now, we know that justice WILL be established- fully and perfectly. All wrongs – what we call moral evil- will be redressed. But it also enables us to be gracious, to forgive, to refrain from vengefulness and violence.
Why? If we are not sure there will be a final judgment, then when we are wronged, we will feel an almost irresistible compulsion to take up the sword and smite the wrongdoers. But if we know that no one will get away with anything, and that all wrongs will ultimately be redressed, then we can live in peace. The doctrine of Judgment Day warns us that we have neither the knowledge to know exactly what people deserve, nor to meet our punishment when we are sinners ourselves (ROM 2:1-16, 12:17-21). So belief in Judgement Day keeps us from being too passive or too violently aggressive in our pursuit of truth and justice.”
– Tim Keller’s “Walking Through Pain & Suffering
I hope you’ll find peace in your journey too. 💛