What's Required?

Micah 6:8 (AMP) He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion), and to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?

What does God require of us? To be just, to love, to be kind and to be humble. This verse can be painful to take in at the end - to set aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness. Ouch! How often do we say we aren't going to do something just because it isn't what "we" want? How many times has someone asked us to go somewhere or be a part of something that could be great but we would rather do our own agenda and desires and we miss opportunities to be a blessing?

Next time you are asked to do something, let's be brave enough to ask ourselves why we are declining - is it because we are more important than another? Surely not, but that is why this verse says to set aside any "overblown" sense of importance because odds are we may think what we have in mind is more important but chances are - they are not. When we set aside "self" we have the chance to put someone else before us and that's when we are truly blessed. When we can spend time with someone who needs godly friends in their lives it will make an eternal difference. I mean, isn't that why we are here? To make a difference for the Kingdom of God? My prayer is that we will seize the many opportunities before us and choose to be humble and giving toward others. Showing compassion and giving grace to those who need to see the church be the church is something we will never regret.

1 Corinthians 12:27 (AMP) Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body, and individually [you are] members of it [each with his own special purpose and function].