Readings for today: Proverbs 28-31, Psalms 7
Righteousness is one of the most important qualities a person can develop in their life. The more righteous a person, the more the people around them are blessed. The greater the influence or authority or power a righteous person is entrusted with, the greater the impact they can make on the world. This is why God encourages the pursuit of righteousness above anything else. Jesus Himself, the truly Righteous One, says in the Gospel of Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the rest will be added unto you.” In other words, make the righteousness of God your aim in life and everything else you may be tempted to pursue - like wealth, reputation, influence, position, etc. - will follow. Not because you have earned it but because God has given it to you. He knows you can be trusted with it.
I often talk about this with the church I am privileged to serve. We have made it our goal to seek the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness first as a community. We give generously and sacrificially to God’s mission both locally and around the world. We serve one another faithfully and well. We love each other unconditionally and we welcome the broken and hurting and suffering so they can find healing and restoration. We do all we can to minister at the intersection of the least reached and least resourced because we believe this is where God calls us to go. Do we do it perfectly? Of course not. We make all sorts of mistakes along the way but this is our general trajectory for which I am thankful. As we have pursued God’s vision for our life together, He continues to entrust with more and more souls, more and more resources, more and more responsibility, and more and more ministry opportunity. It’s deeply humbling and an example of what happens when God’s people seek to live righteously before the Lord.
Our reading today contains all kinds of promises for those who pursue righteousness. Imagine what would happen if more and more Christians would pursue righteousness? Imagine how our lives might change? How our communities might change? How our nation might change? How our world might change? The ripple of effect of the righteousness of God mediated through His people simply cannot be measured. Listen again to how the author of Proverbs describes it…
“When the righteous triumph, there is great rejoicing, but when the wicked come to power, people hide.”
“When the wicked come to power, people hide, but when they are destroyed, the righteous flourish.”
“When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, people groan.”
“The righteous person knows the rights of the poor, but the wicked one does not understand these concerns.”
“When the wicked increase, rebellion increases, but the righteous will see their downfall.”
“An unjust person is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.”
Proverbs 28:12, 28, 29:2, 7, 16, 27 CSB
Think about all that’s wrong in the world today. Think about everything you read in the headlines or as you scroll through your social media feeds or hear on cable news. Think about the leaders we elect or appoint or follow. Think about the institutions we support. The cultural trends we help perpetuate. Think about the relationships in your life. Now ask yourself this simple question…are they righteous? If not, what can you do today to begin moving the needle?
Readings for tomorrow: Ecclesiastes 1-4, Psalms 8