He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
It is good to be reminded of the message of Micah 6:8. It is easy for me to complicate the Christian life. I feel overwhelmed with the number of needs around me, with the responsibilities on my plate, with my “to do” list. In the midst of all that, I often wonder what God wants me to do. Am I measuring up? Should I be doing more? I know, in Christ, I am forgiven and graced. But sometimes I find myself wondering if I am really pleasing the Lord.
Micah asks this question in Micah 6:6-7. What do you want from us, God? How do You want to be worshipped? Do you want lots of sacrifices? Do you want me to dedicate my firstborn to You? Or in today’s world…do you want more worship songs? More attendance at church? More service? More giving? More evangelism?
He has showed you, O man, what is good. It is not a mystery. It is not complicated.
And what does the LORD require of you? How does God want us to live? What is He looking for in the lives of His people?
To act justly. To live in integrity. To treat others fairly. To stand up for justice. To avoid lying and cheating. To not play favorites with the powerful and take advantage of the weak. Do I bend the rules to get ahead? Or do I work hard and live honestly?
To love mercy. Not just “show mercy” but “love mercy.” To enjoy caring for others. To look for opportunities to show compassion and concern. To love extending a hand of mercy to others who need it. Do I find fault in others, criticize and complain? Or do I seek to help, encourage, and spur others on to love and good works?
The first two balance each out perfectly. We are to stand for truth and to love mercy. We are to live righteously and compassionately. We are to desire integrity and intimacy. We are to pursue righteousness and relationships. Our tendency, depending often on our personality, is to overemphasize one over the other. Some stand for truth and justice but in the process crush the spirits of others. Some show mercy and compassion and neglect to uphold God’s righteousness. That’s why the third element is so vital…
To walk humbly with your God. In our own strength, we will never get this thing right! Each day is an occasion to express our humble dependence on God. “Lord, I need You today. Fill me with Your Spirit. Help me to live righteously and love passionately. Apart from You, I can do nothing.” When we feel overwhelmed by the Christian life, we are right where God wants us to be. We can’t do it on our own. We need to walk in the Spirit every moment of every day.
We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4:7).