Micah asks, what does the Lord require of you? “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to DO JUSTLY, to LOVE MERCY, And to WALK HUMBLY with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
THIS IS WHAT GOD EXPECTS FROM YOU;
- DO JUSTLY: Justly, mishpâṭ: laws governing interpersonal behavior.
- Relaxation: – a calm, self-confident manner allows for more consistent verbal expression and gives the impression of an active listener.
- Positive attitude: – all people prefer communicating with the happy, accepting person.
- Empathy: – by seeing, understanding and respecting another’s point of view.
- Understanding stress in yourself and others: – allows for self-monitoring of your own verbal communication and a greater understanding of a speaker’s motivations;
- Assertiveness: – this quality is essential and fundamental to negotiation in a way others can understand but also respect the thoughts and feelings of all involved.
- LOVE MERCY: Secondly, God desires for us to “love mercy…”or, in some translations, kindness. This is the Hebrew word hesed, which can be used to refer to, God’s loving kindness to us. It is interesting to note that God wants us to be drawn to mercy—having compassion for those in need. This is not always easy but as we see, it is so much a human need…
- WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD: This is the basis for loving mercy and doing justice. Because of what God has done, we fully invest in healing the world around us through mercy and justice. Cultivating our walk with God provides the power and passion for us to FULLY ENGAGE—it grounds everything else we do. The “walk” metaphor is used often in Scripture to describe the overall direction one’s life is heading. The adverb “humbly” moves us away from arrogance and the selfish need to ALWAYS BE BETTER than others, to the simple ACCEPTANCE OF THE GIFTS that GOD HAS PLACED WITHIN US. The hymn “Trust and Obey” might come to mind:
- “TRUST AND OBEY”
- When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
- what a glory He sheds on our way!
- While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
- and with ALL who will TRUST AND OBEY.
-Bill Stockham