Step 10: Purpose

In today's world, headlines are often dominated by stories of political crises, tragedies, and wars. The media industry follows the saying, "If it bleeds, it leads," and focuses on stories of death and destruction. While this can be discouraging, journalists have the privilege of covering these stories and broadening our perspectives. They can activate our empathy and encourage us to make a difference.

But do we want to pursue justice? Sometimes I get discouraged as Christians identify enemies they want to defeat. Sometimes politics warps our faith so that we become combative. It's us-vs-them. I struggle to see how this approach fits with the life and ministry of Jesus. The politics of his day were ruthlessly oppressive. Yet instead of raising an army or calling down legions of angels to defeat Rome, he died on the cross. Sacrificial love was his method of defeating evil.

In the book of Isaiah, we see how the prophet challenged the hypocritical religion of his day and drew attention to the suffering of oppressed workers. He called out the people of Israel for neglecting the needs of the hungry, homeless, and poor. He warned that spiritual formation cannot happen if we are oppressing others.

In Isaiah 58:1-4, we read that the people of Israel sought God "day after day" and delighted "to know my ways." They fasted and prayed. Yet God says he doesn't listen because they were oppressing their workers and using religion to look good while neglecting those in need.

**God is not just working in, among, and through us. He is also working around us.** An honest assessment of our world is that it is groaning under the devastation of sin. God cares about redeeming people, communities, and all of creation. He is committed to restoring the world and providing justice to the oppressed.

Would you want to worship a God who was indifferent to injustice?

Isaiah 58 makes it clear that spiritual formation cannot happen if we are oppressing others. Even if we fast, and pray, and seek God "day after day," God says he doesn't listen if we are neglecting the needs of the hungry, the homeless, and the poor.

At the end of Isaiah 58, God says he will honor those who restore entire communities: "You will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live."

If we are responding to God in faith, then our spiritual formation will also include caring about these issues. A selfish life lacks purpose, but when we serve others, we experience a life full of meaning. As we work to restore broken communities and rebuild ancient ruins, we become repairers and restorers. **Pursuing justice is part of how we demonstrate the love of Christ.**

**Our tenth step to God is to participate in his mission.** In doing so, we experience a life full of purpose.