I thought that righteous people were the types that liked rules for the sake of rules. But really, righteous people love things like people, relationship, happiness, connection, holistic prosperity, and community.

The list of what righteousness does is a list of things that most people would want: it delivers from death (see Proverbs 11:4); gives life (see Proverbs 12:28); exalts a nation (see Proverbs 14:34); establishes the king’s throne (see Proverbs 16:12); and brings blessings (see Psalm 106:3), rewards (see Proverbs 11:18), and peace (see Isaiah 32:17).

Think of righteousness as living inside of, instead of up to, God’s standard for the right life. The welfare of you, your community, and your relationship with God are central to living righteousness.

Righteous people fulfill God’s commands and work for the wholeness and justice of their community.

Doing “justice and righteousness” means honoring and expressing God’s intended order and His ways for life. That means doing things that lead to wholeness, freedom, and prosperity for people and His physical world.

Doing “justice and righteousness” means loving the things that lead to life and actively righting the wrongs that keep people from experiencing life as God created it to be.