Thinking of the condition and issues we are faced with in our world today, I asked myself what can I do that would help make Winchester and the world a better place?

I was directed to the Old Testament, in the book of Micah 6:8, “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

The writer points out three things God requires of us. First, God wants us to act justly. Justice is the quality of being just, impartial or fair, it’s simply doing the right thing, whatever it may be.

When Micah recorded these behaviors, there was a noticeable lack of justice. People lived to deceive, cheat, mistreat and take advantage of one another. Their idea of justice was twisted and perverted in the eyes of God. It had been replaced with doing what was right in their own eyes.

Equally, in order for our lives to demonstrate the character and qualities of Christ, we too must be men and women who allow “just” acts to be a lifestyle we live. Do we “do right” by other people? Do we treat others the way we would like to be treated?

Beyond doing what is just in the eyes of God, Micah also tells us God wants us to love mercy. Mercy is a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion.

Mercy means treating people better than they deserve to be treated, even when we don’t feel like it. We are to love mercy not only because God commands us to, but because God time and time again has shown mercy to us.

Those who have mistreated us, wronged us and have spoken vile words against us, by loving mercy, this enables us to show mercy unto them. Jesus, preaching the Sermon on the Mount, spoke these words, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

The third and last command in this text is God wants us to walk humbly. Being humble means to live in complete dependence upon a holy, righteous and       awesome God.

In Micah’s day, when they were faced with overwhelming evidence of their sins, instead of being humble they spoke words of arrogance and contempt towards God.

Walking humbly doesn’t fit too well in our culture, many want to be seen and heard concerning their great accomplishments.

True humility gives God full credit of any good thing that comes from our lives. He alone deserves to be exalted and lifted up.

When we walk humbly with God, He’s first in our lives and all of our decisions. He’s first in our attitudes. He’s first in our words. He’s first in our problems. He’s first in our home. He’s first in everything about us.

When we stray from a “humble” walk, we stray from our relationship with God.

To help make our world a better place, living justly, having mercy and walking humbly will allow people to see a real living God.

Billy Keller is the pastor of Trinity Church of God, you can contact him at pastorbilly1@bellsouth.net.