August 29
Job 31:1-33:33; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 22:8-9
What does it mean to be righteous? Often when we think of a righteous person we can think of someone aloof, unapproachable, and super-spiritual. On the other hand, when Job describes a righteous person in chapter 31 it is in connection to relationships and thus someone who is living out the great commandment to love God and other people. A righteous person is one who values people as being made in the image of God rather than an object for lust or manipulation. A righteous person is just and gives each person what they deserve. They respond to the needs of the poor and disenfranchised around them. This righteous person is anything but aloof, but rather deeply engaged in relationships with all sorts of people. They love God and people more than money and material possessions. It is someone who doesn’t delight in the misfortune of their enemies but instead prays for them and seeks their good. To be righteous begins with our relationship with God but is evident in our earthly relationships. Jesus, the only true righteous one, was a friend to prostitutes and tax collectors. And Paul was able to say in 1 Corinthians 3 that the church in Corinth was the fruit and proof of his position as an apostle. It was relationships that verified that he was sent by God. Similarly, as righteous people, we are to love others deeply and show our love for God in how we treat others.
Father God, help me to reveal your love in the way I love others. Help me to live out of justice, righteousness, and do your kingdom work. Amen.
Question: How can you better reveal God’s righteousness in your relationships?
What does it mean to be righteous? Often when we think of a righteous person we can think of someone aloof, unapproachable, and super-spiritual. On the other hand, when Job describes a righteous person in chapter 31 it is in connection to relationships and thus someone who is living out the great commandment to love God and other people. A righteous person is one who values people as being made in the image of God rather than an object for lust or manipulation. A righteous person is just and gives each person what they deserve. They respond to the needs of the poor and disenfranchised around them. This righteous person is anything but aloof, but rather deeply engaged in relationships with all sorts of people. They love God and people more than money and material possessions. It is someone who doesn’t delight in the misfortune of their enemies but instead prays for them and seeks their good. To be righteous begins with our relationship with God but is evident in our earthly relationships. Jesus, the only true righteous one, was a friend to prostitutes and tax collectors. And Paul was able to say in 1 Corinthians 3 that the church in Corinth was the fruit and proof of his position as an apostle. It was relationships that verified that he was sent by God. Similarly, as righteous people, we are to love others deeply and show our love for God in how we treat others.
Father God, help me to reveal your love in the way I love others. Help me to live out of justice, righteousness, and do your kingdom work. Amen.
Question: How can you better reveal God’s righteousness in your relationships?
Recent
Archive
2025
January
January 1January 2January 3January 4January 5January 6January 7January 8January 9January 10January 11January 12January 13January 14January 15January 16January 17January 18January 19January 20January 21January 22January 23January 24January 25January 26January 27January 28January 29January 30January 31
February
March
Categories
no categories
No Comments