THE THREE REMINDERS

REFERENCE: Micah 6:8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Observation: We can so complicate our walk with God--we add layer after layer of stuff we think we ought to be doing. Micah makes it simple. In fact, he tells us that God has already made it clear what we are supposed to do; just do the right thing, desire people's blessing instead of their "just deserts", and stay away from pride.
It is not hard, at least it's not hard to understand. It is hard to live it out. Our flesh wants nothing of doing what is right. Our twisted sense of justice and our own internal sense of shame requires that everyone be held to account for any mistakes they make. And we always have the drive to put ourselves at the front of the line--our pride demands that we get "our due".
It is because of these things going on inside that it is not enough to simply say: "do the right thing", we need God's grace to have the power to do the right thing. Only by His Spirit can we have the power to choose to obey, the emotional freedom to let others "off the hook" and the confident sense of being fully loved and totally accepted that allows us to lay down our pride.
What God wants from us is not complicated and, praise God, He give us to both the desire and the power to do it, if we ask Him for it.

Application/Confession: For me, it is hard to always do right. I have this rebellious streak that I am asking God to conquer. It hates to be told what to do but I want, so much, to simply obey. I look forward to seeing what kind of adventures God will send me on if I simply commit myself to pure obedience.

PRAYER: Lord, please give me the will and the power to do right, desire mercy instead of judgement for others and to put down my selfish pride. I can not do it alone.