“To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
“Here are my dues. I haven’t been to church in a long time, but I always pay my dues,” said the elderly man. He had just plopped down an offering envelope bulging with money on the church secretary’s desk.
The pastor smiled sadly when he overheard him. He thought to himself that man believes he has to pay regularly in order to maintain membership in the church and stay in God’s good graces.
Paying God off is not a new concept. The Old Testament has many examples of people sacrificing animals in order to please God. They were giving blood sacrifices, but God didn’t want them. The real demands of God are moral and spiritual, and the proper worship is a life of obedience to Him.
The prophet Micah tells us that God has shown us the better way. This way has three aspects, two related to our dealings with other people and one with our relationship with God. We must act justly in our daily relationships of life, show kindness (mercy) to others, and walk humbly before our God.
God is far more concerned with how we live than He is with how much we pay. On the cross at Calvary, Jesus paid it all!
Dr. Robert Wilkerson is a minister, writer, and founder of People for the Christian Way, an organization whose mission is to encourage all people to practice Christian principles in business, politics, and every area of life. drbobwilkerson@bellsouth.net, www.peopleforthechristianway.com
