Humble Hearts Choose Justice and Kindness by Jessica Haberman

by Rachael Adams | May 19, 2022 | The Love Offering Guest Blog Series

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with you God? Micah 6:8 ESV

This verse has been on my heart lately.

My kids are at an age where they are getting into squabbles with each other. Sometimes it is a big blatant transgression with a clear right and wrong. More often than not though, it’s a cycle of grievances perpetuated back and forth. Frequent complaints are name-calling and various degrees of “she’s touching me.” Another common theme is hoarding and stealing. They both love to stockpile things like special rocks or playing cards, whatever the current 4 and 5 year treasure is of the day. Then the hiding place gets discovered. The loot gets stolen to be re-hidden and we start over again. Neither child is innocent. It’s usually unclear how it started but it continues on, measure for measure until both are crying and upset. Open-mouth wailing. Breath-holding. Foot stomping.

At the end of the day, or honestly, even by lunchtime, it’s impossible to retrace the back and forth and discover who really started it. Even if I could, it would be a waste of time. Both are guilty of being unkind to the other. So we talk about love and kindness; about how a person can’t control the actions of someone else, but she can control her own response. We talk about how special each child is and how big of a blessing it is to share life with a sister. I tell them that it is important to make a choice to be kind to each other. This discussion usually ends with escalating, “you need to be kind to ME!” “No, YOU need to be kind to ME!”

As I pray that this conversation sinks in someday, I feel like God is prompting me to reflect back on my own relationships. Yes, there have been times when someone blatantly treated me wrong, but in the everyday tensions of relationships, it isn’t so black and white. With my husband, how many times has a small complaint become a large conflict because I had to have the last word? Or get my way? How many times with friends has a minor misunderstanding caused a rift instead of working through it together? How many times have I held someone’s bad day against them in judgment? Or used my bad day as an excuse to be short and irritable? Not being generous or helpful when I see a need? Holding on too tightly to things that I should have let go of ages ago?

How can we really take Micah 6:8 to heart and apply it to our relationships? I think it starts with humility. The key to the whole verse is to walk in humbleness with God. Without a humble attitude, I read this verse from the wrong perspective. It’s human nature to read this verse either as someone oppressed or as the prophet Micah, demanding behavior change from others. In reality, Micah is talking to me. I’m the one he’s warning to be just and love kindness if I’m humble enough to listen.

Lord, please help me to have a humble heart. Open my heart and my eyes to injustice. Give me your wisdom to choose kindness and offer it freely, without conditions or demands in return. I want to walk with you in love. Amen.

About the Author:

Jessica Haberman is an emergency nurse and mom of four littles. She is married to an entrepreneur which is the source of many adventures. They are growing a small family farm in the Pacific Northwest. Jessica enjoys writing in her free time and blogs on the farm website about faith, family, food, and the farm.