Growing up in the 1970s I remember a daytime soap called As the World Turns. I never watched it; however, the name caught my attention. The name implies a world that is always moving, always changing, always in flux. The lives and the stories of those who are in it go on. These stories nuance, lives change, and people are impacted by those changes.
That’s true of the COVID-19 pandemic, isn’t it?
We were all minding our own business, enjoying a roaring economy, and seeking to impact those around us for Christ when a pandemic from China hits us square in the face. The government rightly shuttered the economy, forced us inside, and began what has now been 50 days of individual turmoil. Thousands have died, millions have been affected economically, and the whole world has changed to an extent yet unknown.
As the world continues and turns back on from the past many days, let me suggest a good ethic to guide us. This particular Old Testament passage has been in my mind since the early days of this pandemic. A friend introduced it to me initially as a Christian back in 1991. From those many days ago, this text has guided me along my path.
Walking with God while Walking in the World
Micah helps us consider what walking with God should look like while walking in the world. Here is what he writes:
6 With what shall I come before the Lord,
And bow myself before the High God?
Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings,
With calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
Ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?8 He has shown you, O 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 6:6-8)
Just prior to these verses, God speaks. In response, Micah, our prophet asks a series of questions for the people, possibly rhetorical in nature as he is using this to speak to the people’s objections. He essentially asks, “What will it take to please you God? Do you want more sacrifices?” Again, I would suggest he asks these questions quite rhetorically – as illustrated in the terms thousands and firstborn. Basically he asks, What will it take to please the Lord?
Micah then provides the answer to his question from God’s perspective. He puts it in three simple steps – which are anything but simple in functional living: 1) Do justly, 2) Love mercy, and 3) to Walk humbly with your God. Notice God’s interest: He cares about the heart of worship more than the act of worship. Greater than merely doing what is right (behavior) is the motivation and heart behind what you are doing (the active heart of worship).
Three Fundamental and Functional Principles for Daily Living
Do Justly
First, God requires for us to do what is right toward others. To act justly includes how we act toward other people. God is our standard and judge for righteous living. Therefore, when we seek to do justly, we must see how God Himself acts and what He expects from us. Do what is right for the people around you.
In many ways, this would include all commands related to respecting people and doing what is right toward them. Integrity. Honesty. Concern. Respect. These would be against any acts of prejudice, abuse of any kind, disrespect generally, dishonesty, cheating, or other ways of wronging people.
Love Mercy
The second principle is to love mercy. God is the standard here. He is truly a covenant faith, loyal, generous, gracious God. The term is often translated lovingkindness relative to God. God always acts consistent with His covenants with His people. In these actions, God moves toward them with grace, generosity, kindness, and mercy. God acts toward mankind with a sense of loving loyalty. In other words, He does what is right by covenant and does those things enveloped with grace, love, and mercy.
This is the challenge for each of us as well. We are to act out of grace, love, and mercy toward others. Fundamentally we do these things because of our commitment to God. As we are loyal to God by covenant, that loyal love overflows toward others as well, especially toward those in a relationship with God. (In the New Testament we often refer to this idea in the First and Second Great Commandments.)
Kindness. Mercy. Love. Grace.
Walk Humbly with the Lord
We do these things as we walk humbly with the Lord. Where acting kind and merciful toward others comes much more natural to me, this foundational principle of living proves to be more evasive in my life. Humility. A lack of pride.
What kind of living is this? A humble person is a wise person who fears the Lord. This kind of person understands God’s rule, God’s authority, and God’s holiness. He walks in light of God’s character. Whatever God wants, this person does. God’s will becomes His will. In the New Testament this is known as walking wisely from Paul (Eph 5:15-21) and James (James 3:13-18). This kind of living flows out of a deep-seated respect and love for God.
Of course Jesus demonstrated this perfectly (John 17). He always did whatever God wanted Him to do. He walked humbly with God. Therefore, just as Jesus walked with God’s interest at heart, we also are to walk with God at the forefront of our heart as well. Again, we call it many things like Christ-centered, Christ-exalting, Christ-likeness, and other similar terms. But in each of these, we speak of the same basic thing: a humble walk with God in Jesus Christ by the enabling of the Spirit as we learn from the Scriptures.
This Is How You Can Respond to the World Opening Up
These three basic fundamental principles for living create great parameters for us as we move into a reopening world.
To do what is right by people – to do justly
To do what is loving for people – to love mercy
To do what is godly with people – to walk humbly with our God
If we commit ourselves to this ethic, both God will be honored and people will be well served. May this be true of each of us.
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
