#401: What Do You Do When Injustice Rears Its Ugly Head?

What do you do when life isn’t fair? How do you react when injustice rears its ugly head at your doorstep?

It’s a question a co-worker recently asked, and it got me wondering, what does God say about injustice, and how should we, as Christians, respond when life just isn’t fair?

Is Injustice a Biblical Issue?

First, we need to understand injustice is a significant theme spanning both the Old and New Testaments. There are 142 references to justice and injustice in the Bible, and 126 of them are in the Old Testament!

One only has to read a few pages into the Old Testament to come to the first example of injustice. In a fit of jealousy, Cain killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4).

While references to injustice are less numerous in the New Testament, examples of injustice abound as we read about the mistreatment of Christians, the disciples, and of course, Jesus Himself.

Where Does Injustice Occur?

Let’s face it, injustice is part of life in a fallen world. We simply cannot avoid it. In Scripture, we see examples of the same injustice that occurs today in family life, our communities, the business world, our courts of law, and certainly our government.

We don’t have room in this short article to cover all of them, so here are a few examples.

Family Life

I already mentioned the injustice of Cain murdering his brother, Abel. We also see injustice in the family of Isaac when Jacob deceitfully stole his brother Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27:35). Then there is the prophet Malachi’s warning the Israelite nation of God’s disapproval because the men are breaking their marriage vows (Malachi 2:13-14).

Community

The prophet Isaiah warned the people of Israel about the lack of justice in their communities. Isaiah said the Lord noticed their lack of justice and was displeased (Isaiah 59:14-15).

Business World

The Lord specifically called out merchants warning them always to use honest weights and scales (Leviticus 19:35). The apostle Paul warns the love of money is evil and causes people to turn away from the faith (1 Timothy 6:10).

Courts

Isaiah made a point of warning judges not to take bribes and acquit the guilty while denying justice to the innocent (Isaiah 5:22-23). The prophet Amos made a similar accusation against judges who took bribes and deprived the poor of justice (Amos 5:12).

Government

The prophet Isaiah pronounced a woe on government officials who enacted unjust laws and oppressive decrees (Isaiah 10:1-2). David, who knows a thing or two about corrupt leaders in government, warned of corrupt leaders who band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent (Psalm 94:20-21)

So, as you can see, even using this small sampling, God abhors injustice, thus warning families, communities, business people, judges, and governments to treat everyone justly.

Now, let’s address the second question, “How do we react when injustice rears its ugly head?” by examining the life of Joseph.

Injustice in Joseph’s Life

I imagine most are familiar with the story of Joseph, which is recounted in Genesis 37-50. Reading Joseph’s story, we see a man who is treated unfairly on several occasions.

• Joseph’s jealous brothers conspired to kill him, but instead, sold him as a slave.
• The slave traders took Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar.
• While serving Potiphar, Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of rape and had Joseph thrown into prison.
• In prison, Joseph interprets the dream of the cupbearer. The cupbearer promised to help Joseph, but promptly forgot all about his promise to Joseph, so Joseph languished in prison another two years.

So, Joseph went from favored son with his fancy coat to a life of slavery and then prison. Life was not turning out like Joseph had imagined when he told his parents and brothers about his dreams!

Joseph’s Response to Injustice

Yes, Joseph suffered injustice, but what is most important about his story for us today is how Joseph responded to the injustice in his life.

Here are five lessons I learned studying Joseph’s life that we can apply when injustice raises its ugly head in our lives.

1) Commit Yourself to the Lord

First, and undoubtedly most important, is through all the injustice Joseph endured, he remained committed to the Lord. The Lord was with Joseph in the house of his Egyptian master and gave him success (Genesis 39:2). Then again, even while in prison, the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did (Genesis 39:23).

The first thing we need to do as we endure injustice is to remember the Lord is with us and remain fully committed to Him.

2) Stay Focused on the Task at Hand

Joseph stayed focused on doing his best work despite the mistreatment he endured. He used his gifts and talents while working for Potiphar and was eventually entrusted with managing Potiphar’s house and assets. Then again, while in prison, the warden tasked Joseph with caring for all the prisoners.

The second thing we need to do when dealing with injustice is to stay focused on delivering our best work. Remember Paul’s admonition,

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

3) Leverage Opportunities for Justice

The pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker were imprisoned with Joseph and put under Joseph’s care. Joseph befriended both men, and when the opportunity arose, Joseph asked the cupbearer to mention Joseph’s false imprisonment to the pharaoh.

The third thing we need to do when dealing with injustice is to leverage opportunities to improve our situation; in an attempt to reverse the injustice done to us. Don’t be reluctant to seek the support God may send; after all, other influential people may come alongside you and help remedy your situation.

4) Be Patient

Joseph had been in slavery and prison for eleven long years when the cupbearer and baker were imprisoned. We don’t know how long it was before the cupbearer was restored to his position, but we do know it was another two years before he remembered his promise to Joseph. Sometimes, injustices are not remedied immediately. Some injustices are never remedied. What we learn from Joseph is through it all, he patiently waited upon the Lord, trusting in Him.

The fourth thing we must do while enduring injustice is trust God and be patient. David said,

“Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).

5) Do Not Seek Revenge

One thing we do not see in the story of Joseph’s life is any form of revenge. Joseph never sought revenge on those who treated him unjustly.

• He became the second most powerful man in the kingdom, yet we don’t see that he ever took revenge on the woman who falsely accused him and sent him to prison.
• We do not read that he ever held the cupbearer accountable for forgetting to help Joseph get released from prison sooner.
• Finally, while Joseph did test the loyalty of his brothers when they visited Egypt, he said, ^“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).

When I am treated unjustly, my temper rises, and my anger flares; usually, a part of me wants to exact sweet revenge on those mistreating me or my loved ones. Then, I remember Paul’s wisdom in Romans:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). And I think, “God can and will bring good according to His purpose. I better let God handle this.”

More Articles

This is the first article I have written on the topic of “justice/injustice.” However, I’ve written several articles on a leader’s values. You can find them by typing “values” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here four of my favorites.

• #363: Did You Know Righteousness Is A National Security Issue?
• #242: An Instructive Letter from My Back-to-the-Future Self
• #228: United We Stand, Divided We Fall
• #188: Your Values Aren’t Your Values Unless They Cost You Something

Join the Conversation

As always, questions and comments are welcome. Have you experienced injustice in your career? How did you respond?

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Category: Skills | Justice