presbyterian fremont

TO WALK HUMBLY

So we’ve taken a look at loving mercy, and now we begin to look at one of the other parts of micah 6.8: “To walk humbly with your God.”  So how do we begin to walk humbly with our God?  I’m going to start this off in a little different direction than you might have expected, so here it goes.  To me, and this might just be me, but I’ve noticed how much money can be made off Christianity and Jesus.  As I was writing this I researched “Jesus Products” and at one store alone there were 10,727 products featuring Jesus, or faith based idealism.  In other words Jesus is big business.

I’ve never felt comfortable wearing a faith based t shirt.  I see people everywhere with bumper stickers, hats, and t-shirts.  I’ve been to Christian festivals and concerts and have actually bought t-shirts like that and then they just sit in my closet.  I was really into baseball growing up.  I played it, I watched it, and I loved it.  I was also a very impressionable kid.  I remember that one of my favorite players always wore a gold cross around his neck, and pretty soon I had one around my mine when I was playing.  It was all show and no heart.  That cross meant nothing to me, it was just a fashion statement.  I wore the cross proudly on my chest, but never on my heart.

I think that all of us can easily fall into the same trap today.  We can proudly wear our gold, and diamond crosses, our t-shirts and our bumper stickers, but if it’s not in our heart, than it means nothing.  That’s how I want to show God to this world. Not by plastering him all over my body, but by living out His call on my life. Maybe “to walk humbly with your God” means living “quietly loud”.  By living our lives in a way that people see Jesus in our actions, our choice to forgive, and in the way that we love.

Our actions will speak louder than our voices ever could.  In Corinthians, Paul talks about all our spiritual words being like clanging symbols or resounding gongs.  It’s about our hearts.  I don’t really think there is anything wrong with showing our support of our faith, but be sure not to build your faith in cheap merchandise.  Remember always to wear Christianity in your heart and not on your sleeve.

TO LOVE MERCY

Do you love mercy?  That’s kind of a strange question isn’t it?  Do I love mercy?  Where or how do I even begin to answer a question like that?  In the book of Micah, God says “He requires us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with him.”  We’ll get to “act justly”, and “walk humbly” another day, but right now we’re focusing on an amazing idea.  I guess to begin to see if we love mercy, We’ve got to picture life without it.  Can we live life without it?  Could you imagine slipping up and that was the end.  No second chances.

A tightrope is merciless, make one wrong move and it’s over, but the net below is merciful.  Our offenses to others and to God create the opportunity for mercy. Mercy is birthed by our faults, because if we haven’t done anything wrong there would be no need for mercy.  I can remember times in my life where I’ve done something wrong and that was it.  No Chance.  I also remember times when I’ve done something wrong, and by mercy it wasn’t held against me.  We’ve all had those moments when our hands were red and we were let go.  The beauty of mercy is released.  That feeling that the world had just been lifted off our shoulders.  That amazing, floating, lightness that comes over our hearts and sets us free, it’s beautiful.

Then there’s God’s mercy, which is unmatchable.  It’s God’s mercy that says “When you were at your absolute worst, I’ll take your place”.  My imagination wanders and it sweeps me up into these modern day crosses.  I see the lethal injection room where Timothy McVeigh is lying there waiting and I see the gallows where Saddam Hussein is waiting, and then I see Jesus.  I see him walking in and taking their trembling hands moving them aside and taking their place.  I’m no better than them.  I am a sinner in need of mercy, I deserve death, but God gives the opportunity for mercy.  He gives us the chance to call on His name, to believe with all our heart that only He can save us from our executions.  And if we call on Him, He will save us.  That’s why we love mercy.  Now did Mr. McVeigh or Hussein call out for God to save them?  I don’t know.  I hope and pray so.  You may think that’s a horrible thing to say, that these monsters don’t deserve the kingdom.  But that’s mercy.  None of us deserve it, but it’s been given to us and we need to give it others.  Even our monsters.

Micah 6:8