Micah 6:8 (Amplified Bible)
8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?
I often think of this and measure myself against it. Once more I did today.
He has shown me what is good; And what is not. My obedience is dependant on my doing the good and shunning the evil.
This is NOT optional. He tells me that these things that are good are Requirements. Requirements that if I do NOT meet them means once more I am falling short. I am missing the mark. I am in sin. We all sin, but when he places before us things that are requirements and we step right over them, we are rebels. Outside the camp. Opposing GOD!
He says I am to do Justly. Do what? Do what he asks me to be JUST. To be just fair honorable upright and treat all people with right motives. This means preferring one another over ourselves. I am still learning this. But, I know it's a requirement. So I will. I prefer myself too much.
He says I am to LOVE kindness and mercy. Not just be kind. Not just act merciful while secretly gritting my teeth. Anyone can do that. When you order a Hamburger at McDonald's they are kind. When you go to the dentist they are Merciful. It's their job. BUT, it's not driven by the gift or Godly Requirement. Jesus said that loving those who do not love you or misuse you are the ones we must love. We must understand that we love them because we LOVE kindness. We LOVE Mercy. Not out of obligation but because the Heart of Jesus beats in our own breast. I'm still learning this every day. I'm learning the difference between Nice and Kind. The difference between Enabling and Mercy. Its a complex situation. And it's a Requirement.
He says I am to Humble myself. That means taking the parking place furthest from the door. Taking the seat not at the head of the table. Not trying to be up front on the platform seeking attention. Only being where and when I am called to be. When I see someone drawing attention to themselves I know they have missed this requirement. "Look at what I can do" is not a humble behavior or attitude. This requirement is not about humility before God. That's yet to come. This is humility before each other. I work hard to keep balance in this area. While not being unduly self effacing, I try to not be unduly spotlight seeking. The spotlight is a demon that possesses people. Kill your flesh...Humbly. It's a requirement.
Last He says I am to walk humbly before HIM. That seems easy until we think about what it really means. It means that HE is God and YOU are not. You must lay down every pretense in his presence. There will come a day when you will cast every crown, every achievement, every good work, every intention at his feet. Those that come out as pure gold as refined by fire will be fewer than you think. I think about some things I did at one time that I thought were selfless acts of Godly behavior. What a fool I was. All of them will burn as wood hay and stubble. Even the things that I thought were "Of Christ" "For Christ" "In Christ" in eternity are just ashes now.
I have no good thing in me at all. It's that level of Humility that he calls me to.
Can I get there? I don't know. Maybe thinking I can is pride. I know this one thing. I press on. I do what I know to do every day laying all my ambitions hopes and dreams at his feet.
I prayed this morning with a dear pastor friend. During the Prayer time it became clear that we must submit all our plans to him.
It's humbling. It's a requirement.
Lord HELP me. I'm weak.
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