What the Lord requires of you?

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

Sometimes it isn't easy to act justly, love mercy, or walk humbly with God. Our very human nature wants to get ours, get even, and get noticed. It is only when we look at life and circumstances through our relationship with Christ that it becomes easier to do the things that he has called us to do.

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40

Loving God and loving people. Jesus' words put it all out there. He didn't undo anything or take anything off the table. He just put it plainly, when you love God you want to please Him like in any relationship. When you love someone you want to do the things that please them and you stay away from the things that you know would hurt or disappoint them. When you just simply love the rest falls in place. I use Dustin and I often as an example. I don't lie to Dustin because, I love him to much. I don't cheat on him, because I love him to much. I don't dishonor him, because I love him to much. I want to spend time with him, because I love him so much. If you replace all of that with Jesus you see how the greatest commandment plays out in our everyday lives. I don't lie, covet, steal, etc., because, I love Jesus to much. I don't put things, stuff, activities, before Jesus, because I love Him to much. I want to spend time with Jesus, because I love Him so much. It's not about being "good" its about being in love.
Just like any relationship quality time is so important. Praying continually (1Thess. 5:17) not being conformed to the world but daily renewing our minds (Romans 12:2). Love is a choice. What a beautiful gift God has given us. Relationships that are built on demands and expectations are empty and unfulfilling, but a relationship that is made by choice is new and fresh each day. The amazing thing about God and choice is that long before we chose Him he chose us.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8