For a long time, I believed that being punitive toward lawbreakers was just as acceptable as celebrating those who upheld the law. In my mind, that made perfect sense. Rules were rules. Right was right. Wrong was wrong.
But over time, I came to realize that this mindset though seemingly noble on the surface had quietly starved empathy and compassion from finding expression in my life.
How regrettable.
In my earlier career years, I often found myself frustrated by colleagues who appeared to carry fewer responsibilities than I did. I could not understand why some employees seemed to have lighter workloads, and whenever I got the opportunity, I would complain about it.
Then one day, my boss sat me down and gave me a lesson I have never forgotten.
He explained the importance of showing compassion and empathy toward my colleagues, and that these were not optional soft skills, but essential prerequisites for good leadership.
That conversation stayed with me.
But it was salvation that truly transformed me.
Thank God for salvation.
As I began to learn the love of God, I also found myself on a deeper journey one of understanding justice through God’s eyes. And in that journey, I discovered something profound:
Justice may not always feel fair, but in God, it is always just.
That distinction matters.
The First Great Injustice
As Christians, one of the earliest and most profound injustices we encounter in Scripture is what happened in the Garden of Eden.
This was the moment when the enemy deceived humanity and stole what had been entrusted to us our authority, our dominion, our alignment with God. What we commonly call the Fall of Man was, in many ways, the first spiritual injustice.
Humanity lost more than a position.
We lost intimacy, alignment, authority, and access.
But thanks be to God the story did not end in Eden.
Jesus came.
And through His death, resurrection, and the gift of salvation, He restored back to us what had been lost. He restored our authority. He restored our standing. He restored our access to the Father.
This is why I have come to believe so deeply that:
Real justice can only be fully enjoyed in righteousness.
Without righteousness, our understanding of justice remains incomplete.
Without Christ, our pursuit of justice can easily become human, emotional, selective, or even self-righteous.
But in God, justice is not separated from holiness, truth, love, and covenant.
Justice Is Rooted in God’s Nature
Scripture gives us a powerful lens into the nature of God:
Psalm 89:14
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.”
What a beautiful balance.
God’s throne is not built on justice alone.
It is built on righteousness and justice.
And what goes before Him?
Love and faithfulness.
This means that in God’s Kingdom, justice is never cold, harsh, or disconnected from His character. It is always anchored in righteousness, and it is always preceded by love.
Likewise:
Psalm 93:5
“Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days.”
God’s standards are firm.
His statutes are sure.
His holiness is not negotiable.
And so, if we desire to understand justice rightly whether in our homes, our leadership, our workplaces, or our nations we must first understand it through the lens of righteousness.
What Is Righteousness in Practical Terms?
As heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ Jesus, righteousness is not merely a theological word to quote in church. It is our legal standing in Christ.
Through salvation, we have been made right with God.
We have been restored into covenant.
We have been given the legal right to access all that Christ purchased for us.
That includes peace.
That includes authority.
That includes wisdom.
That includes divine justice having expression in our daily lives.
Righteousness gives us the platform from which Kingdom justice can be established.
In simple terms:
Righteousness positions us. Justice manifests from that position.
This is why our walk with God matters so deeply.
Because the more aligned we are with Him, the more clearly His justice can flow through us and around us.
Spiritual Injustice in Our Daily Lives
When we think of injustice, we often think externally — corrupt systems, unfair treatment, abuse of power, or visible wrongdoing. And yes, those things matter.
But there is another kind of injustice we rarely talk about:
Spiritual injustice.
To me, spiritual injustice is when we are hindered from operating in the full capacity of who we are as sons and daughters of God.
It is anything that prevents the presence, power, purpose, and nature of God from having full expression in us and through us.
Sometimes those hindrances come from external sources.
Other times, if we are honest, they come from within.
These can be obstacles we place on ourselves — or allow others to place on us — that restrict the move of God in our lives, our leadership, and our spheres of influence.
And that should concern us.
Because if the enemy cannot stop your salvation, he will often try to frustrate your expression.
He may not stop the promise.
But he will attempt to obstruct the flow.
This reminds me of a sermon I once heard from revivalist Tracy Cooke, who said something that deeply stayed with me:
“The problem is not that we shall not receive the miracle; the problem is the miracle passing through us.”
What a sobering thought.
Sometimes the issue is not whether God is willing to release something.
The issue is whether we are surrendered, healed, disciplined, and aligned enough for it to move through us freely.
That is where righteousness becomes deeply practical.
What Injustices Are You Allowing to Take Root?
This is where the conversation becomes personal.
What injustices are you allowing to take root in your sphere of influence?
In your heart?
In your home?
In your leadership?
In your workplace?
In your ministry?
Could it be:
- Fear that keeps you from obedience?
- Procrastination that delays your assignment?
- Gossip that pollutes your atmosphere?
- Jealousy that distorts your perspective?
- Bitterness that blocks your discernment?
- Pride that resists correction?
- Offense that hardens your heart?
These may not always look dramatic on the outside.
But spiritually, they are costly.
Because every time we entertain what opposes the nature of God, we permit a form of injustice against the very purpose He desires to fulfill through us.
And in the workplace, this matters immensely.
How many opportunities have been delayed because of fear?
How many relationships have been strained because of jealousy?
How many promotions have been sabotaged by gossip?
How much Kingdom influence has been reduced by procrastination, offense, or pride?
This is why Faith at Work is never just about prayer meetings, inspirational quotes, or public declarations.
It is also about inner alignment.
It is about spiritual maturity.
It is about allowing God’s righteousness to govern our private life so His justice can flow in our public life.
A Workplace Reflection
In the marketplace, many of us are praying for justice and rightly so.
We are praying for:
- Fair systems
- Ethical leadership
- Honest reporting
- Transparent promotion processes
- Protection from manipulation
- Vindication in difficult seasons
- Wisdom in navigating injustice
And all of that is valid.
But perhaps the deeper prayer should also be:
“Lord, make me righteous enough to carry what I am asking You to release.”
Because Kingdom justice is not only something we seek for us.
It is something God also wants to work through us.
May we not become people who demand justice outwardly while resisting righteousness inwardly.
May we be the kind of leaders, colleagues, professionals, and believers who carry both.
My Prayer
So today, my prayer is simple, but weighty:
Dear Lord, grant me the obedience to allow the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to have full expression in me for Your glory.
May Your righteousness govern my thoughts.
May Your justice shape my actions.
May Your love temper my responses.
May Your holiness refine my motives.
And may my life in every sphere, especially in the workplace become a vessel through which Heaven’s justice is seen on earth.
Because where righteousness is established, justice can flow rightly.
And where justice flows rightly, God is glorified.
Shalom.