"Living While Under the Influence"
- Rita Larson
- Aug 17, 2023
- 3 min read
Today, we are going to look into what it means to live "under the influence" of God. As believers, we are called live a life that is pleasing to God, as outlined in Micah 6:8. This scripture tells us that there are three important principles that we should live by: doing justice, embracing kindness, and walking humbly with God.
Micah 6:8 reads "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?"
Let’s start with the first principle, "doing justly". Living a righteous life is of utmost importance to God. We are called to practice righteousness and integrity in our daily lives. God makes it very clear that he expects us not only to promote but to practice justice as a lifestyle. He wants us to be obedient and stand up for what is right. As it says in Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” Proverbs 31:8-9 states “open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.” How many times are we quick to make assumptions based on something we "heard" about someone. Our place is not to judge one another, we are called to love one another.
The second principle is about our attitude and how we respond to others. We are called to embrace kindness. Kindness changes lives, and we should love expressing kindness every chance we get. Kindness can make a huge difference in someone's life. Proverbs 3:3 says, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” We are called to show love and kindness to everyone, no matter where they come from or what their beliefs may be. Colossians 3:12 reminds us to “clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” The world is watching our every step as Christians! Show the world how great "living under the influence of God" is! through your words and actions.
The third principle is to walk humbly with God. As it says in Philippians 2:3-4 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Live a life of humility, recognizing and putting God first in all that we do. This means that our lives should be lived as if under the influence and leadership of God. He sent Jesus to show us how that life looks, and He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us so we can live that life. As Ephesians 4:2 says, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Our lives should be lived with humility and gentleness and with patience and love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Romans 12:2 tells us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We are to live lives that are pleasing and bring glory to God.
Now that we have explored these three principles, it’s time to put them into action in our lives. We must strive to do justice, embrace kindness, and walk humbly with God. Let’s be the change that we want to see in the world by living a righteous life and showing kindness to others. We can do this by delving into God’s word and being obedient to his will. So, let’s take the time to reflect on the principles outlined in Micah 6:8 and commit to living a life "under the influence" of God, glorifying Him gin all that we do! ©Rita Larson 8/17/2023
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