Justice, Mercy and Humility

“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

I love the straight-forward wording and guidance of the Bible. Micah 6:8 poses the hypothetical question: “And what does the Lord require of you?” Let us look at the three requirements that Micah addresses in this passage of Scripture. Obviously, there are other acts and heart conditions that the Lord seeks of His followers, but these are three that are straightforwardly addressed in this passage.

ACT JUSTLY

When most of us consider acting justly, we might think of being fair and doing what is morally right in our interactions with our fellow people. When compared to our God, who is righteous and just in His nature and all His dealings, our righteousness does appear nothing less than a filthy rag. God is always righteous. I pray that the Holy Spirit will prompt me to live a life of justice – obeying God’s laws as well as the laws of man.

LOVE MERCY

I am amazed at the mercy my Father has extended to me. I was a lost, miserable individual with a heart rotting with traits such as pride, selfishness, and jealousy. When I committed my life to Christ and accepted His forgiveness, my heart was purified and my life was changed. He reached down and extended His mercy to a suffering, lost child. And just as God loved me and extended His mercy to me, I must remember to extend that same mercy to others who hurt me and fail me. His mercy helps me to turn the other cheek and to walk away when I am hurt. His mercy has taught me to be able to forgive in circumstances that I never thought I could be forgiving. His mercy prompts me to help others, even when I am certain that they will give nothing in return.

WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD

Are we living a life without pretensions? Or do we view ourselves higher and better than our fellow man? Are we respectful of the homeless person and perceive him as the very same creation that we were created to be? When we are humble and walking in humility, we are respectful of every other human being we encounter. We respect others, despite their differences from us. Job tells us that humility “makes us patient under trials”. Christ set awesome examples of humility for us. His compassion never failed as hurting, possessed, dying, sick, and other “lesser” people were brought to Him. He was born in a lowly stable among the animals. I can think of no earthly kings who exemplify such humility and respect for their fellow man. Isn’t it amazing that the less we think of ourselves and our status, the more status we attain in the eyes of our Father?