This verse popped in my email this week as a Verse of the Day.
Micah 6:8 ESV “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?”
Let’s look at what this verse says is true about God:
- “He has told you”: God communicates with me
- “your God”: He is my God – therefore we have a personal relationship
- “require of you”: He requires actions that show love: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. If these actions are required by God, then they must be essential to His plan for His people.
And if He requires these things of me, then He gives me the capacity to do good and love in these ways.
This passage in Micah comes as part of God’s indictment of his people. In verses 6 and 7, the people ask what offerings the Lord requires of them. Yet in verse 8, the reply tells us the offerings that God wants of us. The Crossway ESV Study Bible notes that “The Lord desires the primary forms of love – justice (do justice), mercy (love kindness), and faithfulness (walk humbly) – as the expressed response of his people to his redemptive acts.”
Since so much of my time is spent in my classroom, I decided to examine what each of these forms of love looks like in encounters with my students.
Justice
What does the Bible say?
Our God is a God of Justice (Deuteronomy 32:4 ESV). The Crossway ESV Study Bible provides some interpretation of the word “justice”:
Isaiah 42:1 ESV– “Justice means fulfilling mutual obligations in a manner consistent with God’s moral law.”
Jeremiah 22:3 ESV– “Justice (Hb. mishpat) means making right decisions according to God’s commands and case laws.”
Amos 5:7 ESV – “Justice is much more than legal equity; it refers to the entire scope of God’s government of his world. . . On the part of individuals, ‘justice’ involves honest and fair business dealings and faithfulness to keep one’s word, as well as not taking advantage of the poor or those with less power or protection.”
What does this look like in my classroom?
– I “see” all students. Yes, teachers have favorite students (it’s true, but it’s not always who you’d think), but I serve justice if I treat my students as fairly and equally as humanly possible.
– I treat all students with fairness and respect (even when they drive me crazy).
Kindness (Mercy)
What does the Bible say?
- Proverbs 31:26 ESV “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
- Galatians 5:22 ESV: “but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.”
- Colossians 3:12 ESV “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”
What does this look like in my classroom?
– I avoid jumping to conclusions, especially regarding student behavior (but if I hear “he did it first” one more time, I might just lose my mind)
– I smile (middle schoolers have this weird thing where if teachers aren’t warm and fuzzy all the time, they think the teachers don’t like them. . . usually they’re wrong).
– I speak gently (I’ve never heard the word “yelling” so much, but when I ask them if I’m really yelling, the common response is, “well, no, you’re not.” Great.)
Walking Humbly with God (Faithfulness)
What does the Bible say?
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV “if my people who are called by name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
- Ephesians 4:1b-2 ESV “. . . walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.”
- Colossians 3:12 ESV “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.”
What does this look like in my classroom?
– Inviting God in
– Giving God space to move
– Asking God to guide my teaching and interactions with students
(I think this subtopic of walking humbly with God needs some future blog time!)
What do each of these actions look like in your everyday life?
Micah 6:8 ESV “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?”
