Three Little Words

I was playing around on Pinterest last night and this graphic just captured my attention for some reason.  I knew the premise of the verse Micah 6:8, but reading the words over top those nature pictures I felt like it was missing something. So naturally, the nerdy researcher I am, I looked it up.  The ESV version of this verse says, 


"He has told you, O man, what is good;
   and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,

   and to walk humbly with your God?"

I'm an extreme people-pleaser. I get my joy from loving on other people. Sometimes I feel like it's a sickness how willingly I drop my own responsibilities to help someone else with theirs. Now yes, I'm aware that as self-less as that sounds it is in fact all a selfish facade.  I don't help people just because they need it. Mostly it makes me feel good when I can relieve someone's stress and put a smile on their face.  In a way it's my own form of stress relief.  

But the thing is, being a people-pleaser, showing kindness and mercy and loving on others can only bring true satisfaction when I'm living out the last part of that verse too. They may be monosyllabic, but those three words the picture left out are kind of the most important piece.

With.

Your.

God.

If I'm simply relying on myself to bring light and peace and joy into the lives of others I'm going to fail miserably every time.  I'm a naturally dark being. I'm a sinner and I know nothing of true sacrifice or suffering on the behalf of others, so how can I truly grasp what it means to show mercy? My kindness will always have a hidden motive lurking in the shadows. What justice can I dish out when I have a list of transgressions longer than the distance from Earth to that icy rock Pluto?  

That's where those three words come in.  My God steps in, and boy oh boy does He know a thing or two about suffering, sacrifice, and living a wholly sinless life.  When I'm walking with my Savior He can take that selfish people-pleaser and use her trait to bring Light to others.  Without Him the true goodness in mercy and kindness are lost but when I walk with Him I can lean on His shoulder to help me do good and trust that I'm making an actual impact.  

So I'll aim to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly, but not with the goal of spreading empty smiles. I'll only be able to truly live out Micah 6:8 if I'm in fellowship with my Jesus; for then and only then will people see HIS love, HIS mercy, HIS humility, and therefore be able to accept HIS justice and run to Him as their Savior too.