What are your hopes and dreams for this New Year? What burdens and heartaches do you want to leave behind? Conflict exists at every stage of life, sometimes perpetrated either by our own choices or by others’ resentment and anger seeking justice. Aristotle defined justice as a virtue, and therefore it should not be driven by hate or bitterness.
Justice must be carried out within appropriate boundaries of what is acceptable to God in contrast to revenge. True justice must be linked with reason and compassion or else it festers and becomes revenge. "Revenge is mine says the Lord I will repay." Here he commands us to refrain from seeking revenge, for it sabotages justice.
God loves justice so we are to be fair, just, and merciful. Listen to this assurance from Proverbs 2:8. "The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He guards the course of the just and protects his faithful ones." Because you have a choice, take God’s promise into the New Year. So Happy New Year to you!
But [God] has already made it plain how to live, what to
do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is
fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and
don’t take yourself too seriously – take God seriously.
~Micah 6:8 The Message
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