Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Julie  Dawson's new book, Everyday Justice (IVP, 2009).

How does a Christian to live justly, in imitation of God's justice? What are the practical ways to imitate God's passion for justice and righteousness?

God's justice isn't merely punitive. As a practical outworking of loving God and others, true justice is restorative. True justice represents God's love to those around us, thereby honoring the image of God in people. Christians are called to imitate God's love in every area of life, and living justly reflects this.

Right relationships with those around us are part of just living, but they're not the whole picture.  These principles also extend real justice to every area of a lifestyle, taking our focus beyond those with whom we directly interact. For instance, your morning coffee habit doesn't just pay the barista and boost your workplace performance—the farmers growing coffee in Central America may be starving under unfair trade agreements made with your favorite coffee distributor. American Christians must be aware of the larger picture. If you practice an integrated, just lifestyle, you have to make ethical, God-honoring decisions in your consumer habits and how you steward resources.

The good news is that a just lifestyle doesn't mean a major overhaul of everything—it can be achieved by gradual tweaks based upon awareness and abilities. Here are some areas of everyday life that can be tweaked to honor God's call to justice in your life:

Start your morning with fair trade coffee. Everyone's talking about fair trade coffee, and rightly so. The fair trade label promises buyers that the coffee is being purchased from growers at equal or greater cost than production expenses, assuring them some profit from the sale. This counteracts the effects of the NAFTA agreement that is so damaging to coffee growers' ability to profit from their crop. The cost may be higher for the consumer, but the quality is usually better and the farmers make a living. Buy fair trade labels, and encourage others to do the same. Be careful to do your research, though—not all fair trade-labeled products are completely faithful to the free trade principles.

Buy slave-free chocolate. Your chocolate afternoon pick-me-up might be produced by child slaves in Côte d'Ivoire. Check the label—does it say "Slave Free"? Most notably, Nestlé and M&M/Mars do not ensure that their chocolate products are purchased from slave-free farms. Encourage your elected officials to support laws that will ensure children are protected. Use your buying power to influence the market, supporting only slave-free chocolate producers.