Do Justice

Why we must own up to our own faults when we make them

Good morning! Have you ever gotten pulled over?

Confession: I got pulled over yesterday for buckling my seat-belt right as a cop-cycle pulled up right behind me (at least I can say I already buckled my seat-belt before I was aware of his existence). Whoops.

In the book of Micah, the man of God is instructed to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with [his] God.” Justice, however, is a double-edged sword.

Inasmuch as we crave justice and want those who harm us to be prosecuted for their crimes, we are also aware that if we get out of line, we are subject to the same punishments as the ones we desire for those who hurt us. We can’t have it both ways; we can’t try to get out of our just rewards when we mess up and simultaneously decry those who commit greater crimes but manage to get out of paying the price.

Ideally, we don’t ever want to break the law; we should obey the speed limit (aka “speed suggestion”), have our seat-belts buckled, pay our taxes, and pay any parking tickets we receive. It’s best if we stick to the “straight and narrow” and abide by all the rules of our respective governments. However, if and when we do bend and break the rules, we should be prepared to pay the price for our actions.

If we want more justice in the world, we must start with ourselves. Seriously, we can’t have it both ways. If we mess up, and we sometimes do, or just blatantly and shamelessly break the rules, it is our duty to own up to our choices. We can try to blame others or transfer our disappointment to those who enforce the rules we break, but we must realize that it is the consequences of our own actions that come back to bite us.

In other words, own your decisions. Whether you do good or evil, have the integrity to be honest with yourself and own up to what you’ve done. That’s the only way we can promote justice through our own lives.

God bless you, have a great day!