Early in the morning a nurse in Worcester begins her shift. She is tired from the night before, but she treats each patient with dignity and care, even those who cannot pay. Across town, a teacher patiently helps a child who has fallen behind, even though no one will notice. These are small acts, often unseen. In God’s eyes, however, they reflect the life of the tsaddiq, the righteous one.
The Hebrew word tsaddiq is translated as “righteous” or “just.” Strong’s Concordance (H6662) defines it as one who is “lawful, just, righteous.” In the Bible, the tsaddiq is not simply a religious person but one who lives with integrity before God and neighbour. “The Lord watches over the path of the godly (tsaddiqim), but the path of the wicked leads to destruction” (Ps. 1:6, NLT). Proverbs adds, “The godly (tsaddiq) care about the rights of the poor; the wicked don’t care at all” (Prov. 29:7, NLT).
Beyond Private Morality
In my thesis on the reformation of Worcester, I interviewed 22 tsaddiqim, righteous men and women of God, in our city. Many spoke about the challenges of living faithfully in a culture marked by corruption, inequality, and division. Their stories confirmed that righteousness is not only about individual spirituality but about shaping communities with justice and mercy (Guntelach 2023, 46–47).
Tim Keller summarises the call of the tsaddiqim this way: they are “those who disadvantage themselves for the advantage of others” (Keller 2010, 177). Amy Sherman, in Kingdom Calling, adds that righteousness involves stewarding our vocations so that the common good of the community is advanced (Sherman 2011, 18–20).
The tsaddiq is therefore not someone who withdraws from the world but one who steps into its needs with faithfulness and courage.
Practising Tsaddiq
What does this look like in Worcester or South Africa today? It looks like refusing a bribe, even when everyone else accepts it. It looks like treating employees fairly and paying them on time. It looks like showing up in courtrooms, classrooms, boardrooms, and kitchens with the conviction that God cares about honesty, justice, and mercy in every place.
The tsaddiq lives in such a way that others flourish. Families benefit when parents keep their promises. Schools thrive when teachers serve with integrity. Businesses become places of blessing when profit is balanced with fairness. Communities reform when the righteous choose to live not only for themselves but for the sake of their neighbour.
A Personal Challenge
Let us return to the nurse and the teacher. Their quiet decisions reflect a larger truth: God reforms cities not only through leaders or policies but through ordinary men and women who live as tsaddiqim.
Paul writes, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” (Gal. 6:9, NLT).
Here is the question to carry with you this week: Where is God calling me to disadvantage myself so that others may flourish?
References
Guntelach, Bruno. 2023. Reforming Worcester, South Africa: A Strategy to Establish a Culture of Communal Productivity. Executive Masters Thesis, University of the Nations.
Keller, Timothy. 2010. Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just. New York: Dutton.
Sherman, Amy L. 2011. Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books.
Strong’s Concordance. n.d. “Tsaddiq.” Entry H6662. Accessed 30 August 2025.
The Holy Bible. New Living Translation, 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-Living-Translation-NLT-Bible/. Accessed 30 August 2025.