When Injustice Stirs the Soul: Trust in God
- Raymond Melendez
- 15 hours ago
- 6 min read
"At TheGoodNewsCast.com, we believe in God's restorative justice: an inner fire and steady voice capable of moving mountains."
Psalm 37 opens with a gentle melody—a reminder that songs can soothe the soul when the mind is unsettled. Its counsel, “Don’t be worried about those who do evil or envy those who live by upside-down ways,” invites us to remain calm in the face of injustice and not allow it to consume your soul. In this passage, evil is described not merely as wrongdoing but as a mindset that becomes absorbed by the surrounding wickedness rather than letting God’s grace prevail.
The realities of injustice resonate strongly across every generation, reaching out to those who cannot overlook suffering or wait for change to occur. For many, injustice is a lived experience that demands an immediate response. When human life is threatened, silence becomes a form of consent, a conviction that has fueled movements and reformed societies that continues to inspire those who confront oppression today.
The call to rest in God’s restorative justice while refusing to be passive in the face of wrongdoing. Is it possible to uphold both? To calm the soul without silencing the voice.
Injustice: The Fire That Burns Within
Martin Luther King Jr. once warned that life begins to fade the moment we fall silent about things that matter. For him, things that mattered were racism, segregation, poverty, violence, and inequality. Yet, Psalm 37:1 warns that a mind preoccupied with injustice, if not controlled, can drain the soul.
Still, history shows that those who insist on confronting it often choose bold, disruptive, and loud methods. They march, shout, organize, and refuse to let society look away. Their actions can sometimes be disorderly, yet they recognize that injustice frequently flourishes when silence prevails.
Throughout history such confrontation—fiery speeches, mass demonstrations, civil disobedience—has often been the spark that forces a nation to reckon with wrongdoing. It interrupts the comfort of those who benefit from the status quo and creates a tension that demands resolution. For these activists, peace is not an option.
Together, they demonstrate that fighting against injustice demands both intense passion and calm resolve. We need to protect our minds from being overwhelmed by wrongdoing, but we must not let that same intensity mute our duty to express our thoughts peacefully.
Strength Forged in Resistance
Psalm 37 invites us into a posture of trust—an assurance that God’s faithfulness is enough to sustain us even when everything seems to work against us.
“Believe in God, and do what is good.” Psalm 37
The psalm reminds us that trusting in God is itself an act of righteousness. This passage sharply contrasts with the tendency to rely only on ourselves. Benjamin Spock once encouraged people to “trust yourself,” yet Scripture calls us to rest in God’s faithfulness to set things right.
However, each generation demonstrates that having faith in God does not prevent acts of injustice. Across generations, bold voices have risen to confront these arms of oppression with unflinching resolve. Their methods differed, but their conviction was the same: injustice must be challenged with a powerful force.
Malcolm X embodied this spirit with electrifying intensity. His words were sharp because the wounds of racism were deep. He demanded dignity, empowerment, and the right of oppressed people to defend themselves—ideas that shook the nation that refused to be silent (Malcolm X).
Mother Jones carried that same fire into the labor movement. She marched through mining towns and factory floors, rallying workers against exploitation and child labor. Her speeches were battle cries, and she understood that tyranny rarely yields without a fight (Jones).
Even Nelson Mandela, celebrated today as a symbol of strength, began his struggle with fierce resistance. Before his imprisonment, he supported strategies that included sabotage and militant opposition to apartheid, believing that peaceful appeals alone could not dismantle a violent system (Mandela).
These stories collectively show that relying on God's faithfulness doesn't eliminate the necessity to take action. Yet, when God's fire ignites within, a tamed tongue can move mountains.
Justice That Heals
Scripture warns us about the corrosive pull of anger, hatred, and revenge—attitudes that distort the mind's perception of what's truly going on in our communities. While God is just, justice is restorative, not retributive. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5 turns the old “eye for an eye” doctrine on its head, urging his followers not to retaliate but to walk away from wrongdoing. The book of Hebrews reinforces his call:
"We are not called to the fearsome mountain of Sinai, trembling under fire and thunder, but to Jesus—the mediator of a new covenant—who empowers us to speak God’s message peacefully." Hebrews 12
Yet the world continues to suffer, and so many believe that confronting injustice requires more than peaceful demonstrations. For them, retribution—or at least forceful pressure—feels like the only language oppressive systems understand. They argue that peaceful conversations can unintentionally shield the oppressor, prolong suffering, and imply that justice is negotiable. From their perspective, controlling one's tongue is not an option. Anger challenges complacency and reveals the pretense of what society professes to tolerate.
Those who raise their voices loudly do so because they understand what it's like to suffer. Their outcry is not out of hatred but from a deep sense of urgency.
Together, each perspective reveals a profound tension at the heart of justice: the call to speak peacefully while acknowledging the necessity to alleviate suffering. Psalm 37 presents a restorative justice that calls for us to communicate peacefully, with a fervent passion strong enough to believe that change begins within.
Blameless: To Walk with Christ
The Psalms calls us to a different kind of boldness—one motivated not by rage or anger but by the Holy Spirit.
“Turn from anger. Don’t rage, and don’t worry—these ways lead to evil.” Psalm 37
The psalmist cautions that the wicked "draw their swords and taut their bows," not to prohibit the use of the sword itself, but to advise us to safeguard it. A bow pulled tight with anger is aimed to harm, and words spoken in fury can wound just as deeply. Christ himself reminds us that "only God is good," so the psalmist invites us to model our lives after the blameless. Jesus embodies that innocence, and following him means resisting the natural pull toward provocation and the testing of people's faith.
Mosiah 3:19 strongly agrees, teaching that human nature is an enemy to God unless it's influenced by the Holy Spirit and made innocent through Christ’s atonement. God, on the other hand, does not change—anger against evil still burns within our souls—but as followers of Christ, we are called to deliver the message peacefully. Jesus drank the cup of wrath, and in Mark 10 he tells his disciples they will drink from it too.
Still, history reminds us that progress has often been carved by bold, confrontational voices. Their methods were not always peaceful, but their impact is undeniable. From civil rights leaders to labor organizers to anti-apartheid activists, their courage continues to inspire new generations who refuse to remain silent. They march, speak, protest, and challenge the status quo because they strongly believe that peaceful demonstrations enable suffering to worsen.
In a world still facing inequality and discrimination, these voices urge us to reflect on what is necessary to bring about change. Their legacy encourages us to address injustice without succumbing to anger, to express the truth while being mindful of our words, and to emulate Christ, who walked blamelessly before God, who alone is good.
Today, I encourage everyone to trust God and cling to Christ's innocence. He gives not as the world does; he gives you his peace.
Works Cited
Jones, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones. “Speech to Coal Miners.” 1902. Mother Jones Speaks: Collected Speeches and Writings, edited by Philip S. Foner, Monad Press, 1983.
Malcolm X. “By Any Means Necessary.” Speech at the Founding Rally of the Organization of Afro-American Unity, 28 June 1964, Audubon Ballroom, New York City.
Mandela, Nelson. “Statement from the Dock at the Rivonia Trial.” 20 Apr. 1964, Pretoria Supreme Court. Nelson Mandela Foundation, www.nelsonmandela.org.
