He hath shewed 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? (Micah 6:8) (KJV)
How is a Christian supposed to work in a biblical manner? What does God expect? In addition to doing our jobs well, submitting to our employer, and other things I have discussed in over 260 articles I have written on the theology of work, I can confidently state that God’s Word has not left us uninformed.
In the Old Testament, we have one key verse that has personal meaning to me. I love its simplicity. The prophet says that Yahweh has shown us three things that He requires: “to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.” Let me briefly unpack these three areas in a biblical, theological, personal, and practical way so that we might consider how to do these things at work every day. (Note: Click here for a YouTube video of this song from the Maranatha Music “Praise 4” album.)
Scriptural Context
The Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary states, “The majority of the people of Israel had violated each of these standards repeatedly. The rulers did not know justice (3:1), had no interest in mercy (3:2, 3), and demonstrated no humility (3:11).” The commentators wisely add, “It is the Lord who ultimately gives a person strength, courage, and ability to exercise the virtues of godly living.”
As we look at the broader context of the Old and New Testaments, Micah 6:8 reads like an over-arching responsibility for both Israel and the church. Note that this is not a new command. Micah states that God had already shown them, meaning this is merely a reminder. How does it line up with the greatest commandment, originally given in the Law (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18) and reemphasized by Jesus in Matt. 22:36-40? It is quite simple. Doing justly and loving mercy fall under the large umbrella of loving our neighbors. Walking humbly with God is how we begin to love Him and others as well.
To do justly
It says in Micah 6:8 that we are required to do justly. This is not merely an attitude to work on. We are called to action: to do what is right, fair, and that which reflects God’s character, for He is a just God. We don’t confuse right and wrong, calling evil good or good evil (Isa. 5:20). We don’t justify sin, ours or anyone else’s. We courageously speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves and defend the innocent.
The OT Saint Job illustrates this quality well. He is described as “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8). Later, we get a more detailed portrait of this godly man:
I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them. The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing. I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth (Job 29:12-17).
How can we put this into action at work? I treat my team members with dignity and respect, regardless of gender, rank, religion, political affiliation, etc. I try to give the same attention, care, mentorship, and workload to everyone equitably. I ensure everyone else does the same. Just like the Israelites exiled in Babylon, God sends us out to be His agents of redemption. We must shine the light of Christ in dark places and become part of His work to bring common grace to those made in His image.
To love mercy
In contrast to the emphasis on action in the first of three requirements the prophet articulates in this verse (to do justly), he then tells God’s chosen to love another of Yahweh’s divine attributes, mercy.
God’s mercy involves not giving us what we deserve. Justice and mercy are two sides of the same coin. As the writer of Ecclesiastes exclaims, “there is a time for throwing stones and for gathering stones together” (Eccl. 3:5). James highlights mercy by condemning a lack of compassion towards poor church members. They were treated unfairly due to their appearance. He wrote, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well” (James 2:8). He concluded, “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).
I recall some things I have done to show mercy. A coworker’s dad had some long-term medical issues. I occasionally asked her how he was doing after others had forgotten. She recalled me doing this in her farewell speech one year later. I’ve sat with Soldiers who were struggling or completely broken. I have prayed with a few. I don’t do it to get more work from them. I do it because I am called to be merciful.
How can we do this at work? How do you respond to the people you work for and with, those who work for you, and the customers you serve? When one of them disappoints you, you might want to consider showing them a little mercy. As Jesus taught, it is easy to show God’s mercy when we remember how God has been merciful to us (Matt. 18:21-35). You may have to discipline, counsel, fire, or even cut ties with someone who does wrong, but you do not have to do it in a vengeful or cruel manner.
To walk humbly with thy God
What does walking humbly with God look like?
One way to emulate an attribute of God, a fruit of the Spirit, or a positive character trait is to identify its opposite and avoid doing that. Obviously, the opposite of humility is pride. The Bible has a lot to say about not being prideful. “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” (Prov. 11:2). Later, Proverbs 16:18 adds, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride is that independent spirit that thumbs its nose to God and everyone else, “I can do no wrong. I do not need you. I am fine just the way I am.” One who walks humbly is dependent on God for strength and wisdom.
I must mention Brother Lawrence and his book, The Practice of the Presence of God. He had “a heart that had learned the most essential ingredient of the Christian life: how to remain in the presence of God daily.” In one conversation, he said, “All we have to do is to recognize God as being intimately present within us. Then we may speak directly to Him every time we need to ask for help, to know His will in moments of uncertainty, and to do whatever He wants us to do in a way that pleases Him.” His consistent fellowship with God has been a model for me for over 40 years.
What do I do at work to walk humbly with God? As I head to my office from the parking lot or walk across the building to a meeting, I pray. I confess my sins often. I ask God for things that I need and pray for others. I recognize and remind myself daily of my absolute dependence on Him for grace.
What else can we do to humbly walk with God? We can read and meditate on His Word. We can be active in a solid church to fellowship with others, learn more about God, and serve. When we are being radically transformed into Christlikeness through the power of the Holy Spirit, it naturally impacts our workplace.
Closing thoughts
Allow me to remind you that these things the Israelites were commanded to do are not something we are required to do to earn our salvation. We can never earn it. These are the good works that we were created to do in order to glorify God as a result of our saving faith in Jesus Christ. (See Eph. 2:8-10.)
I want to encourage you to focus on developing these three foundational traits and demonstrating them at work. I believe you will find that these actions and attitudes will set you apart and will attest to the genuineness of your Christian faith where you spend the majority of your waking hours every day. Visibly and consistently displaying this kind of three-dimensional Christlike behavior in the workplace will earn the trust of your teammates. You will be the first one they come to when they want to know more about Jesus.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Russ Gehrlein
Featured Image by Malachi Witt from Pixabay
Comments are closed.