What exactly does God want from me anyways?
That’s the same question Israel asked:
“What can we bring to the Lord? What kind of offerings should we give him? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?” (Micah 6:7-6).
Micah answered this way:
“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” (6:8).
[To keep each post relatively short, I'll break this verse into 3 parts.]
DO WHAT IS RIGHT
The Hebrew word is misphat, frequently translated as “justice.” It means to treat other people with dignity and respect. It implies a social obligation toward weaker members of society and insists on the rights of others.
Don’t confuse misphat with government run welfare.
Andy Crouch explains this perfectly:
“This is different from charity, which is simply the transfer of assets from rich to poor. It is closer to investment. Investors expect a return–indeed, they expect their own resources to grow alongside the success of the enterprises they invest in.”*
Thus, it is the responsibility of each individual to voluntarily invest in the lives of those who need their help (i.e. “to do what is right”).
What exactly does God want from you?
#1 — He wants you to care about other people (social justice).
