Reflect God's Character In All Your Choices

Micah 2:1-2 -  How terrible it will be for you who lie awake at night, thinking up evil plans. You rise at dawn and hurry to carry out any of the wicked schemes you have power to accomplish.  When you want a certain piece of land, you find a way to seize it. When you want someone's house, you take it by fraud and violence. No one's family or inheritance is safe with you around!

 

Micah gave the people God’s words about in justice. He targeted those who kept late hours….plotting how to take advantage of others.  They used the laws of the land to their advantage...to get what they wanted…knowing that the laws man had made were morally wrong. They didn’t care about the people they hurt….claiming that the law made what they did acceptable.

 

Man has put in place many laws over the years that are contrary to what the Bible teaches. Jesus even addressed the issue when he was asked by the leaders of his day in Mark 12:17.  It says…. “Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.” 

 

Jesus modeled for us how to keep our motives pure and consider the law as second to the Bible when he healed on the Sabbath.  Jesus showed us how to consider love first…. when considering whether a law is Biblically supported or not. I am not advocating intentionally breaking laws…but rather not adhering to them when compassion and love call for us to ignore them. Just because a law says we can collect interest…doesn’t mean that it is right to do so. Just because a law says you are entitled to 50 percent in a settlement…doesn’t mean you can opt for a lower number in love.

 

I admit that I have not always reflected God’s true character in my choices….but this reminder has me reflecting on how I can change that. If I want all my choices and thoughts to reflect his love….I sure need to be careful that compassion and mercy are a part of any decision I make that involves others.  Especially the ones that may have never seen God’s kind of love before.

 

Father….thank you for the reminder  that  the ten commands you gave me in Exodus 34 are the only laws that you ordained as ways to think in Christian love. Forgive me for making my decisions based on laws that man added later…and not always checking my choices with the Bible.  Help me to always check a choice by the Bible in the future….and give to others out of love and compassion. …not expecting anything in return.   Amen.