He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Pithy. Demanding. Liberating.
Pithy: Micah 6:8 may be a little long to be pithlike, but for a statement of how to live one’s life, it’s hard to get much shorter or meaningful. And it makes a great song. ;-)
Demanding: Read it again. Can I (1) act justly, (2) love mercy, and (3) walk humbly with my God? Do I? Or is it easier to demand justice except when it means I lose, more fun to celebrate that Paris Hilton is going to jail, and “human nature” to rely on God only when times are tough?
Liberating: Does God have one single path for each of us? Only one God-chosen spouse, one career, one city, etc? Or does God give incredible freedom to choose our lives, knowing there are many ways to live according to His will? I believe it’s the latter. That’s liberating.