Thought of the Day !!
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 (NRSV)
For the next three days we will take this verse and look at what the Lord requires of us.
Part I - Do Justice
The first thing that our God wants from us is to do justice (or act justly – or do what is right). This means in all situations. It doesn't mean to seek out the right thing to do just when it's easy. As a matter of fact, this can sometimes be the hardest thing to do because we're tempted to think of what will benefit us.
Justice comes from doing what is right when it comes to the well-being of our neighbor. It's basing our decisions on something other than what benefit we can get from them.
Henri Nouwen wrote that our lives seem like they're lived in anticipation of certain questions we think we'll be asked on judgment day such as; "How much did I earn during my lifetime?" or "How many friends did I make?" or "How much progress did I make in my career?" or "How much influence did I have on people?"
If these were the questions asked by Christ on that glorious day, many of us could approach it with great confidence. But as it so happens, these are not the questions that will be asked of us. Instead Jesus will ask, "What have you done for the least of these your brothers and sisters?"
As in the parable of the sheep and the goats, He will point out whether or not we fed the hungry…gave the thirsty a sip of water…welcomed the stranger…clothed the naked…cared for the sick…or visited the imprisoned. I believe that He will also point out whether or not we were just in dealing with people on a daily basis.
God wants us to act justly in everything we say and do. Let's try our best not to let Him down.
In the love of Christ,
greg
posted by Greg Hazelrig @ 1:05 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
I think that this verse goes a long way to illustrate the point in the posting above. If we (myself included)were better and more consistant at this, I think that there would be less complaint. Also, I think that a lot of this perception has to do with the harsh condemnation which passes for preaching in so many churches. I don't mind calling a spade a spade, and I think that sin and it's consequences should be preached. But, not to the exclusion of God's grace and mercy and invitation. It is also needs to be pointed out that we are all sinners in need of redemption. A favorite bumper-sticker that I've seen around reads: Not Perfect, just Forgiven. We are moing on to perfection, one slow, painful step at a time. We will not get there in our lifetimes, but we can make a start with the help of the spirit. I think that an evangelic focus which starts from the view of "we're all in this together" would yield more results in this day and age. More "Come, let us reason together..." rather than "I'm saved and you're burnt toast...".
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