ACT JUSTLY
When
we think about God and His justice, we think about it in terms of punishment.
God is perfect in His goodness and His judgment is visited on those who do not
live up to His requirements.
We
might realize that there are people, who have fewer advantages than others, and
we might even feel bad about it, but that’s not enough. God expects us to care
for them, and take action on their behalf.
God
wants people who will do justly. It's not enough to be sad about injustice or
to hope that we'll eventually get around to doing something for someone in
need. He wants people who care enough to take action.
God's
sense of equity extends to all. He doesn't show preference to good people and
allow bad people to suffer. He sends the warming sun and the refreshing rain to
them all. And He wants us to show the same kind of impartiality.
LOVE MERCY
When
it's within our power or right to punish or harm someone but we show compassion
and forgiveness instead, we're demonstrating mercy. And while we'd all like to
think of ourselves as merciful, it’s not a trait that comes naturally. Mercy
looks beyond what someone deserves so that they can experience what could only
be theirs through generosity.
Mercy
isn't just about being nice. It's a kindness that is extended at personal cost
when it's within our power to do otherwise. It's having the ability to see the
big picture instead of being focused on the respect, deference, and the
treatment deserved.
God
could demand mercy from us (and in many ways He does), but forcing us to act
merciful doesn’t make us merciful. He wants us to love mercy because it’s the
only way that we become people who naturally respond with grace and goodness.
The
Bible is one story after another of
God's mercy triumphing over judgment. Despite constant betrayal, God responds
with patience and mercy. And in the most shocking display of mercy in history,
the sinless Christ went to the cross as punishment for all mankind's sins.
WALK HUMBLY
WALK HUMBLY
We
have a model for humility in Jesus. He personified the humble character that
God expects from us, and He wasn’t Someone who lacked self-confidence.
Humility
is so important because it protects us from pride. The danger of pride is that
it’s largely invisible to us. By imitating the humility of Christ, we learn to
recognize pride’s presence in our life. We need to cultivate a healthy
self-awareness that helps us see when we’re doing things to promote and elevate
ourselves.
We
need to place others above our comfort and convenience. Humility is found when
we’re willing to serve when it’s inconvenient and when the personal cost is
high. Let’s be honest about learning to do that. We’ll never be ready to lay
our lives down for another.
Caring for the interests of others isn’t as
easy as it sounds. We’re hardwired to put ourselves first and to see everything
else through a lens of our wants. It takes genuine effort to train ourselves to
take a step back and truly care about the troubles of others.
But He’s already made it plain how to live, what to
do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal
in your love, And don’t
take yourself too seriously— take God
seriously. (Micah 6:8, MSG)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“How
to Love Mercy” by Jesus Film Project
·
“How
to Walk Humbly” by Jesus Film Project
·
“What Does
It Mean to Do Justly?” by Jesus Film Project
This
post was inspired by the 2018 theme (Micah 5:8) to the CenterPoint Gahanna
Men’s Retreat at Heartland
Conference Retreat Center. It was wonderful to get to know the men of my church
better. This post is also dedicated to the three men who spoke on this verse at the retreat (Frank, Tom, and Joe. ) God bless you.
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