Relationship 4

Micah 6:8

At the beginning of my teaching career I taught at a school for pregnant teens. The school was geared toward their special needs and was set up to facilitate health and learning together, without the demands of regular school and without the stigma that comes with teen pregnancy.

When many of the girls first arrived they brought some emotional baggage and often were belligerent in their behavior. They were dealing with a lot of emotional stress and expected to face many confrontations. But they found instead a welcoming environment. In a very short time they blended in and went with the comfortable flow of the unique school.

Working with our faith may be an intimidating and frightening process to some. We may wonder how we can relate to our Lord and how we can possibly be good enough to be called children of God. But Micah has a few words about a relationship with God. What has God shown us? What does God require?

A pastor friend shared his conversion experience and told about how confused he was at first. He initially believed that being a child of God could not be that easy. Surely something hard to accomplish was expected for him to have a relationship with God.

But soon he discovered that it was as simple as Micah points out. God has given us good things. He has lavished His love on us and surrounded us with blessings.

What does God want from us? Nothing more than to be humble, to think more highly of others than you do of yourself. He wants us to desire justice and to live a life that provides that fairness and equality.

God wants us to have mercy in our hearts, to value compassion and forgiveness, to avoid hatred and revenge. We should be willing to be as loving as God has been to us and to share that love with others.

This is a relationship with the Lord. We must shed our human desires and behaviors and begin to adopt the attitudes of Jesus. Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with your God. The word used is “with.” We are invited to be a partner, a companion, a friend to God in our living.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What does it take to walk humbly with your God?