Why fight?

Recently I faced a situation where I was tempted to walk away but was called to address the dishonesty of the situation first. I have often struggled with facing these situations and in the past have not understood what the point of doing so is. Getting what I deserve has never been enough to motivate me to face an intimidating person or situation. And often my love of being loved by people has kept me quiet in conflicting situations. In this latest situation, as I sought the Lord and listened to the input of those around me, I began to ask what I was supposed to be learning. As I prayed the Lord showed me that this issue is one that has deterred me from pursuing law for a long time. Not just the issue of facing intimidating people but the bigger issue of understanding why it is important to do so. In other words, why is fighting injustice in a broken world worth doing? This is the answer the Lord is teaching me. Every situation presents us with an opportunity to stand for what honors the Lord. To choose to do so has two valuable results: it commits me to uphold what is right and it offers others an opportunity to repent and do what is right. Revelation 2:5 says "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." Often we see sin but we don't call it that because we assume that it has always been that way; in our hearts we harbor skepticism that removes our responsibility to speak up. But when we do as this verse commands and we "remember where we have fallen from" we are reminded of whose we are, who we were intended to be, and who we could be again if we turn from our ways. There is hope in repentance and freedom in the acknowledgment of our sin. When we stand and fight for what is right we refuse to comply with, and resign to, the reality of sin in our world. We choose hope in the grace that covers our sin, and to hope on behalf of those who have not yet received that grace. This decision to engage in the fight relates to all areas of life, and when faced with the utter brokenness of our world, our lives, our relationships, and ourselves there may be times when we find ourselves asking "What is it that we are fighting for?". I tend to favor Sam Wise's answer from Lord of the Rings "that there's some good left in this world and its worth fighting for." Our feeling when we look at the world around us may be that the good is being crowded out, but the reality based on the scriptures is that that is not so. God's goodness will not be defeated by wickedness. The battle is won, but the fact that there is a battle means that we must fight for those around us just as the Lord left his throne in heaven to fight for us. And our continual strength is the words of our Lord "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world!"