“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
Picture this: Endless deadlines. An overflowing sink of dishes. Three reports and two papers due by the end of this week. A dear friend who you know needs your presence and comfort right now. Your job demanding more from you than the arduous 8 hours you spend each day at your desk. Your phone ringing constantly because you keep ignoring the doctor’s calls because you simply don’t want to hear the results. Your grandma who you should really give a call to. Your sister whom you haven’t spoken with for a few days because of a petty argument. Maybe pieces of this list sound a little bit like your life. I know that pieces of this list definitely sound a lot like mine.
Life is hectic. The world demands so much of us and we often demand even more from ourselves. We tell ourselves once we get to that point, that goal weight, that salary, that high ranking position, that relationship goal, then we’ll be happy.
Then?
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to me and my life, I find that once I push myself harder, once I grasp the next material thing, once I reach the next stage of my life, I’m only left emptier and craving what’s next rather than relishing in what’s now. I feel many emotions as I reach my “goals” and climb my mountains and, “keep on keeping on,” but one emotion I often don’t feel when I’m in the midst of my rushing is true happiness and complete joy.
The world demands a lot from us and oftentimes, we set unattainable goals and expectations for ourselves and our own lives. We rush. We get worn out. And we break down. Rather than asking what the world or what ourselves require of us, let’s take a look and see what God requires from us- from Micah 6:8, we read, “...And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”. Well at first glance, that sure seems a lot simpler to achieve than my endless To Do List is. However, of course it’s certainly not simple what God is asking us to do here, is it. Because we are sinful human beings, we can’t do God’s will on our own. Romans 8:7 tells us that our sinful minds are in fact, hostile to God. They do not submit to God’s law nor can they do so (Romans 8:7).
While God’s “To Do List” for us certainly isn’t easy, it does give us a sense of peace and comfort that neither ourselves nor the world ever will or ever could. God doesn’t require us to lose thirty pounds before our best friend’s wedding. God doesn’t demand that we reach that goal salary or that high ranking position. God doesn’t order us to have the perfect, never rocky marriage that everyone else appears to have or the Pinterest-worthy home or closet. God simply commands us to do three things in this verse: seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.
Have comfort today knowing that God loves you just as you are, nothing more and nothing less. He sent His Son to live a perfect life and die in your place so that He no longer requires a “To Do List” from us (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8). And that we can simply be still today, knowing that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Ask God today then, for strength against our frail yet stubborn flesh and blood to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him today (Micah 6:8). Nothing more and nothing less.
