“With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O mortal, 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?
—Micah 6:6-8

Who do you want to be in 2023?

If you achieve all of your goals or resolutions, how will you be

? Will the world be different?

We cannot control how the world is. We can control how

are in the world.

“If we want the organizations and communities we serve to thrive, focus on what God needs to do in you, change in you, makeover in you so he can use you in his mission.” —Tod Bolsinger

Micah’s Context

The prophet Micah was active in the late

’s BC, a time of both internal and external threats for Judah.

He came from the rural town of Moresheth, and likely had a

-class background. (Micah 1:1)

In 722 BC, the

conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and destroyed its capital, Samaria.

Judah avoided conquer by becoming a

of the Assyrians. In 701, they invaded but failed to capture Jerusalem.

According to Micah, the causes for Samaria and Jerusalem’s suffering were

and

Reveal Answer

. (Micah 1:3, 2:1-2)

When we worship something other than God, we often fail to

others as a result.

The Verdict

In light of these issues, Micah describes God’s message to the people as a

case. (Micah 6:1-2)

God begins the case by recounting the ways God has

the people in the past. (Micah 6:3-4)

The people respond by suggesting

that might make amends. (Micah 6:6-7)

What God requires is not an offering, but a different way of

. (Micah 6:8)

“The spiritual teachers of our tradition (and other traditions too) repeatedly remind us that spiritual ecstasy is no substitute for ordinary kindness and practical generosity.” —Rowan Williams

Justice, kindness, and humility are not actions, but qualities of

.

Walking with God

Following Jesus isn’t about doing the right things. It’s about being

into Jesus’ image. (Romans 12:2, Philippians 2:5)

God is less concerned with our achievements than with our

.

“Competency gets you in the room. Character keeps you in the room.” —Carey Nieuwhof

“Our character, basically, is a composite of our habits.” —Stephen R. Covey

Our

determine whether we are becoming more just, kind, and humble, or more selfish, greedy, and narcissistic.

Justice, kindness, and humility don’t fit easily into

goal frameworks.

Small,

actions begin to shape our character as they become habits.

“Make it obvious. Make it attractive. Make it easy. Make it satisfying.” —James Clear

The

we habitually expose ourselves to will shape who we become. (Philippians 4:8)

A transformed

can lead to a transformed family, organization, community, and world.

Action Steps

Do a habit

. Ask, how is this habit shaping me?

Start with

. Write a

Reveal Answer

note, text, or email each day this week.

Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O mortal, 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?”