“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 6:8, NRSV)

     Christians are notorious for their selective hearing. My wife is threatening to buy me hearing aids so that I have no more excuses for missing her pleas to take out the garbage. The same principle is true with respect to hearing God’s word through the Scriptures. Too often we cherry-pick the passages that fit our constructs and beliefs while giving less weight to the Scriptures that do not.

     For those who emphasize acts of piety, the focus is on such activities as prayer, healthy living, confession, receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion, fasting, and searching the Scriptures. Pious living also is manifested by avoiding such actions as envy, boastfulness, arrogance, rudeness, selfishness, irritation, resentment, wrongdoing (see I Corinthians 13). A life lived in piety centers on the goodness or righteousness of one’s character.

     As I mentioned in yesterday’s devotion, other followers of Jesus emphasize the ethics or social justice of Christ’s teachings. Their focus is on doing good for the sake of others. The pursuits of equitable housing standards, feeding the poor, caring for the elderly, and assisting those who are physically and mentally challenged are some examples.

     But again, we cannot separate the goal of becoming like Jesus (personal piety) apart from treating our neighbors in the same ways as Jesus (social responsibility). Being a good person and doing good for the sake of other people are not either/or options. We must hear and heed the entire counsel of Scripture, rather than selecting or giving greater weight to those portions that best fit our political leanings or cultural ideologies.

     Additionally, those who emphasize one of these two expectations over the other can fall into the trap of self-righteousness. Self-righteous individuals rely upon their own strength, wisdom, and resources to complete the task to which they believe God is calling them. However, the prophet Micah indicated that no person can “do justice or love kindness” apart from walking humbly with (or depending upon) God. Simply put, God not only calls us to live balanced lives of personal piety and social responsibility, but He also grants us the understanding and power to do so. As Jesus claims in John 15:5, “…apart from me you can do nothing.” Or at least we can do nothing of eternal significance.

     So, for those of you who like me have selective hearing, you would be well advised to get the ears of your heart checked. And if you discover that your hearing is compromised, I know a gal who can get you a brand-new pair of hearing aids.