Complacent Church
Why is it that we try walking humbly with God without doing anything? Why is it that we want God’s grace for ourselves but want God’s wrath for everyone else? Why do we try to love God, but not love people?
For the longest time, I would go to church and do the bare minimal. I would come, sit down, listen to the pastor speak, sometimes worship, and then go home and carry on my own life.
It was so traditional, so ritualistic, so… lifeless. I fell into complacency, trying to walk humbly with God by following traditions and patterns by keeping my church attendance up. But, that ain’t church.
It wasn’t until I began choosing to get involved that I found life. It was a life of service that allowed me to better pursue God. I was no longer going to church to just listen to the sermon… sometimes I don’t even have the chance to listen to the sermon… and that’s okay! I no longer go to be served, but to serve. It’s amazing how that simple concept transforms the entirety of how I live.
Micah 6:8
“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you God”
Walk Humbly
I began reading the Bible myself and spending time with Jesus myself every day. I was no longer dependent on my pastor for my own Jesus time. I was no longer a baby. My relationship with Jesus became my own. I no longer needed or wanted a “middle-man” for my relationship.
I begin going to church to serve. I became the church. Church became me instead of a building or place I attended.
What does the Lord require of you? To ‘do justice’ and ‘love mercy’ and ‘walk humbly with God’.
In order to walk humbly with God, we must live to serve. What does a life of servanthood look like?
Do Justice
There is a Hebrew word in the Bible that translates as ‘righteous’ and also ‘justice’. God declares those who do justice, as righteous. They go together; they are inseparable. God will judge us on how well we served the ‘least of these’. He will judge us on how well we became servants. He will judge us on how well we did justice.
Don’t hear me wrong. Just because God deems me righteous, I still have plenty of flaws and weaknesses. Accepting that title that God calls me is a switch in mindset where I no longer allow my flaws keep me from doing what God calls me to do. Justice. One of the best ways the enemy attacks us is in our own minds. Manipulating our thoughts on a daily basis telling us how much of a failure we are and Satan tries to get our weakness to keep us from serving God. As if God didn’t see our flaws before redeeming us.
It’s all in your head. Renew your mind. Choose God anyways. He saw your beauty and weaknesses and sent Jesus to buy you back. Don’t let the enemy tell you that God doesn’t want you… Jesus died for you. God wants you! He wants you to be a part of His story. He wants to be with you! Serve Him; Do Justice.
Love Mercy
I can no longer go a single day where I don’t fall in awe and wonder of God’s compassion on my life. He loved me, the wretched sinner that I am, so incredibly much that He descended from His rightful throne just to walk with me! Like, what?!
Imagine that for a second. The King got up from His royal throne. He came for the neglected. I’m thinking of the prostitute. The beggar out at the stoplight. The refugee fleeing rape and war and entering into a new culture that doesn’t speak their language. He came for those who are straight up broken. I’m thinking of myself. My sin. How could God do that for me. He came to me? The King? I’m just a neglected peasant… but not to Him. I’m precious in His sight. You are precious in His sight. He is the most compassionate. The compassion-king. He wants to walk with you. Together. He calls you friend even when everyone else scoffs at you.
That.
That is who we are to imitate. That is what it means to ‘love mercy’. Mercy is compassion. We must first recognize that, although undeserving, God sent the King down to rescue us broken beings. When you embrace His love for you, you fall in love with Him. Awe and Wonder. But don’t become complacent and stagnant in your faith. ‘Loving Mercy’ is so much more than just loving God; it is loving people that way God loved you personally. You are commanded to imitate God’s love to His people. God set you and me, captives, free. But He wants you to help Him set more people free!
So.
Walk Humbly. Recognize you are constantly in need of Jesus.
Love Mercy. Reflect and imitate Jesus’ love on your life onto His people.
Do Justice. Rescue and protect the oppressed. Rescue and punish the oppressor.
