God's Requirements

“ He has showed 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

Before I start my day at work, the first website I go to is biblegateway.com. It's amusing because it's Bible Verse for the Day oftentimes falls appropriate for how my day turns out, what I'm feeling or what I'm going through for the current season. The verse above is their verse for today. Isn't it so straightforward that it screams, GOD WANTS US TO BE GOOD?

But just what is "good"? If there's one word that can describe it, it is "over-used". Too many times it is associated with almost everything. Good person, good hair, good job, good deed, etc.. etc.. The good ol' dictionary states that good is an adjective that means "being positive, or desirable in nature; worthy of respect, honor, of moral excellence, pleasant". And the list goes on. When Micah wrote the verse above, he was appealing to a concern on the pretensions and lawlessness of Jerusalem. If we look at the world today, our own selves can sometimes be a reflection of the then Jerusalem. Goodness appears on the surface, from the outside and not within. Tarnished hearts, yet shiny on the outside.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?" God has given his one and only Son as the perfect example of a good man that lived a good life. This verse gives hope for all of us who are aiming to be the person that God wants us to be. We've been spoonfed to have been given a role model. But why is it that to be "good" is such a difficult thing to do? As we walk through life we encounter situations that will make us or break us. Either or, it's a choice. Either or, there's a price to pay or enjoy.

The remaining half of the verse says, "to act justly". To act honorably and fair. Why can't we do this? Because we've been cheated, we need to take revenge. Because we've experienced how it is to cheat and get away with it. Because we want to do things fast and easy. Because oftentimes, we get away with trickery. Going further in the verse, it says "to love mercy". To consistently be compassionate, kind and forgiving. Why can't we do this? Because someone has walked out on us, left us, lied to us. Because no one has returned any gratitude. Because people look at mercy or compassion as a sign of weakness. Finally it says "to walk humbly with your God". Humility. To be modest in behaviour, meek, gentle, to show respect. Why can't we do this? Because we have low self-esteem. Low self-image. We mask our inferiorities with an arrogant stance. Because we know it all. Because we have it all. Because we're higher than others.

It's encouraging to note that even by just one verse, we can say so much.. But I hope we can all try to take some time to ponder about what it means. The world is already full with all sorts of crap - from people, made by people and lived by some. It's all a matter of choice. How do we fulfill God's requirement? If we dedicate, and I mean DEDICATE our lives to Jesus, then, we can be assured of rising above ALL our "issues" in life. The requirements become easy to follow. The burden becomes lighter and lighter. Your self-image improves, gets better and better.

I am perplexed to see other people that choose to wallow on self-pity, thrive on pride and feed on people's weaknesses. Do you actually get a buck richer everytime you lambast someone to shame? Can the past be relived? Can you bring back the lost time? As Pastor Joel Osteen says, 'you cannot unscramble eggs.. but God uses that to make an amazing omelette!'. God's requirements may be difficult for you or us to do because of our past experiences (that have broken us really bad).. However, know that God allows such trials or circumstances to make a better and wiser me and you. And, before you know it, you're all.... good.