Meditation (Micah 6:8)

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?

This is one of those bumper sticker passages; the kind you see on t-shirts and coffee mugs or quoted in various places. It’s also one of those deeply rich passages of scripture that says so much about the nature of God and his desire for us without saying too much at all.

If we view the Bible as an operating manual for Christians, then this verse could be seen as a recipe for conducting ourselves in everyday situations. Jesus echoes it’s implications when he boils down God’s commandments to just 2 statements:

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12: 30-31

In Matthew 22: 37-40, Jesus sums up these two commandments with the following statement:

(verse 40) “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.“

The prophet Micah is giving us a word from the Lord that is very practical. A way that we can love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbor as ourself. We can use these three objectives in every situation to guard our hearts, and frankly our attitudes with others.

We can do justly (or the right thing) which honors God and requires discipline and self-control (a fruit of the spirit- Galatians 5:22-23). This is the first of the three requirements given because it is of the utmost importance. Adherence to “do justly” is required to accomplish the other two effectively. In order for us to have the self-control to do what is right, we must be led by the Holy Spirit. Our natural tendencies as humans are toward self-preservation and self-promotion. We want the easy, quick, obstacle free, and most rewarding path. Whether it be looking for a promotion at work, recognition among peers, or protecting ourselves from perceived dangerous situations this natural tendency often makes us more selfish and less others focused.

To love mercy and walk humbly with God addresses this issue of self-preservation and self-promotion by engaging in actions that puts others before ourselves. These two admonitions come as a positive recourse to prevail against our natural tendencies and enables us to be others focused.
“To love mercy“ is simply a call to be more fluid when things don’t work out the way we planned, granting forgiveness readily, and working towards harmony with others in any given situation that doesn’t keep us from doing what is right or just.
“To walk humbly with God“ points to the servant attitude we should take toward others. Encouraging others, working to benefit others, and positively impacting our community without the end goal of reward or promotion. It also brings out a boldness in us to share in our failures, short-comings, and mistakes; to be honorable but transparent with others, especially as they struggle, because God is with us.

This recipe for Holy living works in all situations, environments, and with all people.

Lord, help me learn to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly in all things- everywhere I go, and with everyone I meet. Thank you, Jesus, for setting the example and providing a way through your sacrifice that I can be empowered by your Spirit to do so. Through your power, may I be most effective in leading my family, loving and guiding with prudence and patience, and influential in my community.

(If you would like to see Micah 6:8 used in a practical way for parents checkout this excerpt from my blog post “Parental Patience” and read the full post for 7 practical ways parents can positively impact their child.)

EXCERPT:

Micah 6:8 is God’s recipe for diffusing heated situations.   
Do what is right– The rules are there for a reason; be firm in your reasons, and hold them accountable. 

Love mercy– Extend grace and understanding by inviting them to share their perspective. You may be assuming something before knowing the full story. You may learn something new about your child (like the way they think or view something) that you can then cultivate into something positive.  

Walk Humbly– Be willing to admit when you are wrong. Be quick to apologize for your misunderstanding, angry tone, or aggressive actions in handling the situation. Be transparent with your child about consequences you have endured from similar mistakes you made and your desire to protect them.