“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”
Micah 6:8
There are many voices in our world today that try to tell us what to say, what to think, and how to act. The loudest voices often come from our government, our academic institutions, and our media. They try to convince us that they alone have the knowledge, the truth, and the solutions that will make our lives better. And although most of the nations in our world are democratic and espouse freedom of speech and personal choice, there has been a growing threat of increased control over what people can publicly say, what they are taught to think, and how they are expected to behave. This should be concerning to all people who value their freedom!
At the heart of this threat is the attitude that man has the power to determine what is true, right, or beneficial for everyone. This belief in man’s wisdom and ability to know all things began with the age of scientific discovery and the enlightenment of man in the 17th century and continues to this day. It was also the beginning of humans turning away from God and relying on ourselves rather than Him and His Word (see my related blog from June, 2015: God or Me? | FaithLife Ministries) When we stop relying on God for truth, wisdom, and behavior, we see the inevitable destruction of our society. The fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century is one well-known historical example.
God has spoken about this throughout His Word, but never more clearly than in Micah 6:8 (see above). I remember our pastor giving a sermon on this Scripture many years ago and indicating that this one verse sums up the entire Old Testament. But it also provides us with the 3 things that really matter in our world. And if we want a better world and a better way to live as humans, here is what our Creator tells us about how we should live.
1. Act Justly
The first thing that really matters to God is that we act justly. When God calls us to act justly, He is saying that we must act according to the truth. And it is not our truth, but His truth! In our world today, many people believe that truth is relative and that we can each have our own truth. But that is absurd. There can only be one truth. And the truth that really matters is God’s truth. We find His truth in His Word – the Bible! His truth defines what is right and wrong and is the standard for human behavior. Isaiah 45:19 says, “I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” When we deviate from His truth, we end up denying Him and hurting one another. When truth becomes relative or subjective, it also becomes a weapon to wield against others who may disagree. God’s Word also says in Leviticus 19:15 that “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” When we decide what is truth, we sin and harm others in the process. We are called to act justly according to God’s truth!
2. Love Mercy
The second thing that really matters to God is that we love mercy. God has been merciful to us by redeeming our lives at the cross through His Son Jesus’s sacrifice for our sins. Consequently, we should be merciful to others. Jesus taught this in the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus also said in Matthew 9:13 that “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” When we do not show mercy to others, we who are Christians deny our faith and are no better than pagans who do not believe. Mercy is also a reflection of our character as humans as it indicates our true beliefs. It almost seems as if our world no longer values character. All that seems to matter to some people are race, ethnicity, gender, and social status. In today’s world people are judged by their outward appearance and not their human character. As Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said in 1963, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” Whatever happened to that vision for America and the world? When we show mercy to other, we love others and fulfill Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
3. Walk Humbly with God
The third thing that really matters to God is that we walk humbly with Him. This declares that He is God, and we are not! Even Jesus humbled himself before God, and “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” (Philippians 2:6) When we are humble like Jesus this clearly shows others that it is God, and not us, who is sovereign over all things. Our humility acknowledges Him as the source of truth in our world and is the One we should all trust for our well-being and earthly needs. The Bible teaches us that we are to work for what we receive in this world. 2 Thessalonians 3:10says, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” But we are also taught that “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (Colossians 3:23) In other words, we must earn our way in this world and take responsibility for our own lives while at the same time recognize that we can only do that by answering God’s call in our lives, serving others in His name, and allowing His Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. When we humble ourselves before God and put our faith and trust in Jesus, we allow God to make us examples of what it truly means to walk humbly with our God!
We know that the world is corrupt and full of sinful people. But we also know that we were put into this world to not only worship our Creator, but to also Shine His Light to others (Matthew 5:16).
So, as followers of Christ, let us act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. These are the 3 things that really matter if we want to live in a better world!