"He has shown you, o man, 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
This verse gave us the words for a song we often sang at summer camp when I was a kid. It was always one of my favourite songs. And it still is.
In one verse, the prophet Micah gives a pretty good summary of how God wants us to live. The principles of what God requires in this verse are repeated in various forms though-out Jesus' teaching and that of other writer's of the New Testament.
"To act justly . . ."
Acting justly is about treating people fairly and honestly. Not seeking for someone to get what they deserve for their actions. It's about treating people the same no matter their social status or how you feel about them personally.
". . . to love mercy . . ."
Mercy is about not getting what is deserved. We're told to love mercy in this verse. To love people getting another chance. To love allowing people to try again.
". . . to walk humbly . . ."
Scripture makes it pretty clear that pride is often someone's downfall. Humility is what God desires from us. Those in Scripture who walked in humility are the ones who God has given us as examples of how we should live.
". . . with your God."
These final three words are the most important of all. Acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly are useless if they don't happen with God. We need Him as we walk this life and live how Scripture tells us to.
Doing it with God is the key to anything in our lives. With God it's possible. Without Him it's not possible.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
The Importance of Spiritual Discipline
A few days ago I wrote about the danger of legalism. I've been thinking about the balance in our Christian lives since then.
We don't want to fall into legalism. But that doesn't mean spiritual discipline doesn't have it's place.
Spiritual discipline is important. The habits that we develop are what help us to grow in our relationship with God.
There are times in our lives where we want to spend time with God. Where the attitudes and motives of why you do those things are all about bringing glory and praise to God.
But what about those times we all have in life where we just don't want to do those things? Is it legalism then if we keep on doing them even though we don't want to?
Sometimes, it's the habits we develop in the times we feel like doing those things, that carry us through the times when we don't feel like doing them. Sometimes we need the habits to keep us going.
Continuing those habits when we don't feel like it isn't necessarily legalism. Spiritual discipline is important as we walk through the seasons of life. Spiritual discipline keeps us going.
It all comes down to the reason why we keep doing those things.
Are we doing them because we want things to change and we want to keep growing in our relationship with God?
Or, are we doing them because we think that if we keep doing them when we don't feel like it because we think that will earn us God's approval and favour?
We don't want to fall into legalism. But that doesn't mean spiritual discipline doesn't have it's place.
Spiritual discipline is important. The habits that we develop are what help us to grow in our relationship with God.
There are times in our lives where we want to spend time with God. Where the attitudes and motives of why you do those things are all about bringing glory and praise to God.
But what about those times we all have in life where we just don't want to do those things? Is it legalism then if we keep on doing them even though we don't want to?
Sometimes, it's the habits we develop in the times we feel like doing those things, that carry us through the times when we don't feel like doing them. Sometimes we need the habits to keep us going.
Continuing those habits when we don't feel like it isn't necessarily legalism. Spiritual discipline is important as we walk through the seasons of life. Spiritual discipline keeps us going.
It all comes down to the reason why we keep doing those things.
Are we doing them because we want things to change and we want to keep growing in our relationship with God?
Or, are we doing them because we think that if we keep doing them when we don't feel like it because we think that will earn us God's approval and favour?
Friday, August 9, 2013
Five Minute Friday: Lonely
After a few weeks off from it, I'm getting back with Five Minute Friday over at Lisa-Jo Baker's blog. Five minutes of writing what comes. No editing or overthinking it this time. Today's word is "lonely."
Sometimes I wonder if the way our lives have changed have made us lonely.
We text.
We Facebook.
We email.
We tweet.
But when do we actually sit down across from each other and talk?
In our instant communication, we have stopped going deeper with one another.
But, the truth is we were made for community. We were made to really know each other. We were made to allow people to know who we really are.
So, by choosing to stay with instant communication, I wonder if we're missing something. And I think that explains why people are so lonely these days. We don't have the connection we need, and so we feel lonely.
We feel lonely because this isn't how we were made to live.
When was the last time you sat down with a friend and really talked about how you are both doing?
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