We are wired to resist pain, yet as Christians we are called to be like Jesus even when it hurts. Though God is opposed to slavery, he plays the long game and calls his people to fight injustice not with injustice but with humility and grace. When we’re treated like slaves in the workplace, suffering for doing what is right, we are to be encouraged that God sees and has gone ahead of us.

Jesus knows what it means to suffer like a slave despite doing good, yet he persevered. Peter was a witness to this — seeing that Jesus ‘committed no sin, and was reviled but did not revile in return, suffered though did not threaten, entrusting himself to him who judges justly.’ So too we ought to follow in Christ’s footsteps, becoming uncomfortable for his sake, restoring relationships that have been broken and standing upon our faith wherever we are, shining the light of Jesus to those around us. Justice for our suffering will come, but until then our job is not to fight back injustice with injustice, but to take up our cross and follow ‘the shepherd and overseer of our souls.’