Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 (CSB)

In Micah 6:8 we learn what God expects of the Israelites, a group of people who repeatedly failed to follow the law and love the Lord with their whole hearts. In this verse, the prophet communicates three things necessary for godly living: be concerned about justice, love with steadfast love, and walk humbly with God.

A Christian is concerned with justice. We are to live in a way that honors God’s law, treats others well, demonstrates integrity, and acts for justice. And though it often seems as if the wicked prosper, and wrongs will never be righted, we can take heart that one day evildoers will face justice. (Psalm 37)

A Christian loves. The greatest commandments are to love God above all else and to love others more than we love ourselves. A heart rooted in love for Christ acts in loving-kindness toward his neighbors, family, friends, and enemies. Love “is not self-seeking” but seeks to serve others. (I Cor. 13:5)

Because we are sinful, we will never be able to perfectly carry out justice or love the way we should. By God’s grace, the Holy Spirit convicts of sin in these areas, and prompts us to humbly ask God for help. Walking humbly with God is to walk in repentance.¹ Though weak, if we are humble, and walk with God, he will use us for his glory! A heart tuned to God results in godly living.^[2]

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¹Bloom, J. “Lord, Search My Heart.” Desiring God. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/lord-search-my-heart.

² Kevin Peacock, “Micah,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1409.