What Are We Supposed to Do?

He has shown you, O (wo)man, what is good,

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justly, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

There are people, I am sure, who must wonder, “When it comes to this "following God" business, what exactly is required?  What does He expect?”  It is a valid question, and various churches, faiths and believers have a variety of answers.  For the ancient prophet, Micah, the answer was quite simple.

• To do justly:  According to Webster, to do justly is to: act in a just manner; rightly, deservedly.  To be just is to be:  right, fair, impartial, equitable, proper, fitting – we could go on and on.  To do justly is to do the right thing – whether we want to, feel like it, or necessarily agree with it.  Doing justly is at the core of Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves, a subject God feels rather strongly about!
• To love mercy:  According to Webster, mercy is:  kindness in excess of what may be expected, forbearance, compassion, forgiveness, pity, compassionate, clemency, favor.  Instead of being hammer-down, we should want to love, want to care, and want to be compassionate.  Loving mercy is also central to Loving our Neighbor as Ourselves and is the twin of doing justly.
• To walk humbly with God:  Webster defines humble as: having or showing a consciousness of one’s defects or shortcomings; not proud; modest, humble of mind.  Walking humbly with God acknowledges that He is the Creator, and we are the created.  It is the very heart of Loving the Lord our God with all our Heart, Mind, Soul and Strength.

Jesus said: Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important – the first on any list.  But there is a second to set along side of this:  Love others as well as you love yourself. 

Matthew 22:37 [The Message]