Justice, Mercy, And Peace

Matthew 5:1-12

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. (Matthew 5:6)

YOUR GOALS IN LIFE SAY a lot about you. The things you long for, the dreams you have, the forces that drive you forward—these are indications of the condition of your heart and the priorities you’ve embraced along the way. They may include goals of many kinds—personal, career, family, financial, relational, and more—and there’s nothing wrong with any of these. But a life that flourishes and carries Kingdom influence in this world will be built on a foundation of Kingdom values. It will seek justice or “rightness” in all situations, mercy for all those who need it, and peace in all its fullness—the shalom of God. It will embrace the priorities of the King.

These have always been God’s values, clues to his purposes in this world. Something should bother us whenever we see injustice or unrighteousness, the sharp edges of this world that wound people’s hearts and destroy their lives, the fractured nature of human existence that keeps us perpetually unsatisfied. Those who have embraced the culture of God’s Kingdom will hunger and thirst for resolutions, carry mercy wherever they go, and offer wholeness and healing for wounded and fragmented souls. They will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9), receive mercy (Matthew 5:7), and ultimately be satisfied (Matthew 5:6). No one embraces God’s agenda and ends up disappointed.

Those who embody the Beatitudes and carry the Kingdom culture have what the world needs, even if many consider these blessings to be the opposite of what they need. Modern society is starving for resolution and restoration, and true Kingdom citizens are called to offer it. If you seek the Kingdom of God and his righteousness—justice, mercy, and peace—you will receive them and much, much more. You will bear fruit that lasts forever and taste its goodness even now. You will experience the kind of life that not only makes you flourish but helps others flourish too.

{Jesus, you demonstrated rightness, mercy, and shalom throughout your earthly ministry, and you taught your followers to display them too. Build me up in these things. Make me a catalyst for Kingdom ways. Satisfy my hunger and thirst so I might heal the brokenness of others. Amen.