Starting Simple for the New Year

This past Sunday I spoke on a passage of scripture that I think provides a simple, spiritual, recipe for the New Year. After all of the Christmas holiday madness, I think it is especially timely to think about making our lives more simple and get back to basics. The passage I am referring to is Micah 6:8, "And what does the Lord require of you, O man, but to do justly, to love kindness (or mercy), and to walk humbly with your God." I love the simplicity of this verse. God simply wants us to reflect His character, who He is. He is a God who is all about doing what is right and just, and He is a God of grace. And so he calls us to do what is right, and to not just be kind, but to love kindness.
He wraps it up with encouraging us to walk humbly with our God. Notice he tells us not to run, or even to jog, but to walk. You get the sense of a regular, steady pace, not a rush, no being in a hurry. It is the difference between driving through your neighborhood, verses walking through your neighborhood. The slower pace allows you to see and hear things you would miss if you just drove down the street. He also encourages us to walk with humility. It takes humility to admit that you need God, that you can't save yourself, you don't have all of the answers.
I hope you will think about taking this verse and making it your own for 2010.
Blessings,
Dr. Paul