Many Christians suffer from a lack of clear purpose. They either don’t know what God has in store for them or they are blinded to what that purpose is. This is not uncommon, and mankind has suffered with this from the beginning. Paul said that he was straining toward the goal. He had a very clear sense of purpose and knew what he needed to do to accomplish it. But for many of us, it’s not so cut-and-dry. We may be confused, lack direction, or simply just don’t know where to begin.
The Israelites were reprimanded by God through Michah for their lack of faithfulness to God. God asked the rhetorical questions, “What have I done to you? How have I wearied you?” (Micah 6:3). It was God who rescued them from Egypt and who provided for them in the desert. God was the one who put them in a land flowing with milk and honey. Yet they rebelled against him and each other. Nobody was safe from oppression. Anything and everything was fair game.
God again asked the rhetorical question, “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” (vs. 7). Of course not! God wanted his people to do righteousness. “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?” (vs. 8). This message is just as true today as it was in the 700s B.C. When we do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God, everything else will come into focus. Churches will be healthy and people will take care of their neighbors.