He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

                                                                                                                     Micah 6:8 

If we were to try and identify some basic instructions for believers in Jesus to live out in our culture today, where would we begin? Well, today’s passage is a good place to begin!

1. Do justice

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. 

                                                                                                                   James 1:27 

If we are going to claim to be seeking justice, we must concern ourselves with those who cannot defend themselves. In the biblical context, orphans and widows were considered to be a class of individuals that were incapable of defending themselves. If a child had no parents, he/she was left to try and figure out how to survive. Any provision made would have had to come from others in the community since these youths were incapable of making the same living as an adult.

Likewise, widows were considered in the same way. A woman in that culture did not have the opportunity to make a living for herself. If a woman lost her husband, that tragic event would put her in a dire economic condition. Again, someone in the community would have to take her in and plead her case.

These two examples point to God’s interest in the weak being provided for by Christians. Whether it is benevolence or pleading the cause of these powerless individuals, the church must take the lead in caring for those who cannot care for themselves. This is the essence of doing justice.

2. Love kindness

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy (kind) and My burden is light.                                                                                               

                                                                                                            Matthew 11:28-30 

Jesus tells us to come to Him for rest. The reason we can rest in Him is because of His character and nature. When we find ourselves burdened and tired with life, we can find a spiritual respite in the presence of Jesus.

He tells us to take on His yoke. When we think of yokes, we might consider an animal that is being controlled by a yoke or bit. These animals are brought under control because of the yoke. So the idea of a yoke may, at first, be an unpleasant one.

But Jesus describes His yoke and the burden that He requires in two terms: easy (which actually means kind) and light. We can compare this “load” with that of the world’s demands or even what religion places on us. When we try and please the world, we find ourselves exhausted because the world is harsh, demanding, and cruel. Even when we think that we have arrived, the world will remind us that we are now old and outdated.

The same is true with religion. When we reduce our spiritual lives to a set of rules, statutes, or demands, we can find ourselves bitter, angry, disappointed, and spiritually dry. Why? It is because we are not designed to carry those types of burdens. Talk to anyone who carries “the weight of the world” on their shoulders and you will find someone who is tired, worried, and defeated. We simply were not designed to carry that load.

So Jesus says, “take my yoke for it is easy (kind).” “Take on My burden for it is light.” Jesus is gentle and humble at heart and He is sympathetic to our plight (Hebrews 4:15-16). So when we take on the yoke of Christ, we learn to be gentle, humble, pleasant, kind, and light on others. This is the essence of loving kindness.

3. Walk humbly with your God

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

                                                                                                                   1 Peter 5:6-7 

God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). That is one of the first lessons we must learn in this life. In order for us to experience the salvation of our souls, peace in our hearts, and the ability to forgive and let go of the things that fester within us, it is the willingness to humble ourselves. And when we humble ourselves under His mighty hand, He will exalt us at the proper time.

In addition, when we humble ourselves before God, we can place all of our anxiety on Him. This goes back to the idea of finding rest in Jesus. When we truly know Him, intimately and personally, we find peace, rest, and power to live our lives for Him. This is the essence of walking humbly with our God.

So, as Christians, where do we begin when looking for a strategy for living? Why not begin here doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with your God!