Are We Doing What the Lord Requires of Us?

⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, 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 (NIV)

I’m sure that you’ve heard your pastor quote or preached about the verse above countless times. Perhaps, if not the majority, everyone agrees or appropriates Micah’s exhortation.

Are we doing what the Lord requires of us? How far have we adhered to justice, mercy, and humility?

I posed those questions above as I read and reflect on the sad narratives of migrant workers suffering from their abusive and exploitative employers. Let me share some stories.

Former farmhand compensated rightfully

On 16th March, I read about Vincent Babe, who finally received the compensation due him. Unlike many migrant workers who chose not to complain, Vincent filed a case against his employer.

The Stuff reports:

A dairy farmer has been ordered to pay a former farmhand more than $40,000 in unpaid wages and compensation for hurt and humiliation.

Vincent Babe​ worked as a farmhand for SLD Agriculture between June 2019 and May 2020. During that period, he was paid nearly $48,000, but his employment contract stated he would be paid a salary of $64,000.

The sole director of SLD Agriculture, Scott Donaldson,​ told the Employment Relations Authority he had deducted the cost of rent, firewood, equipment, and annual leave from Babe’s salary.

But authority member Claire English​ said Donaldson​ was unjustified to make arbitrary deductions from the agreed salary.

No potable water in the house

I was surprised to learn that a migrant family had to boil and filter the water to have safe drinking water.

After the wife discovered particles and organisms on a glass of water, her husband traced the pipe that lead to their drinking water source. It led him to the water supply for cattles.

Meanwhile, the farm owner who lives a few metres from their accommodation has his own water tank. Farther in the same farm, another migrant co-worker collects rain water for drinking.

Overworked migrant doing the work of three persons

When he started working at the farm, there were three of them. His work value was to finish his tasks early so he can rest. However, the farm owner added more tasks each time the migrant farm work finished early.

Later, the migrant farm worker noticed that he was left to do more of the work for the day. The owner and another farm worker were doing minimal tasks.

For being overworked all the time, the migrant farm worker suffered a stroke. He’s in his 40s. I’m praying that the Lord will heal him 100% and that he will be able to work again in an improved workplace condition.

Call to consistent actions

It is so easy to be detached from all these injustices; after all, we can choose to continue going to church, give our tithes and offerings, and serve in many ways and means in the church’s programs.

Weren’t these quite similar to what the Prophet Micah put out in Micah 6:6 and 7?

⁶ With what shall I come before the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
⁷ Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

The key phrase is, “Will the Lord be pleased with” and Micah is simply saying, you can do all the simple and incredible things that you can do for the Lord, but these are the requirements – To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Fortunately, in our church’s vision, mission, and goals, we have included these requirements. We have practised them throughout all our lives, individually or corporately as a church, and no one can judge us except the Lord God.

Nevertheless, it is worth asking, have we been consistent in our acts of justice, mercy, and humility with our God?

Suppose we profess that we love freedom and justice because our rights have been violated, and we are zealous in fighting for our rights. In that case, we must also advocate for our “neighbours” who are suffering injustice and couldn’t even express, nor do something about their sufferings.

Or else, are we really doing what the Lord requires of us if we are selective in our pursuit of justice, mercy, and humility?

And if we are selective and worst, we shy away from the real deal injustices around us because they don’t affect us directly, doesn’t that make us hypocrites?

Let us be reminded that when the Son of Man will come, he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:32). Jesus continues in Matthew 25:37-40:

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Let us keep doing what the Lord requires of us until he comes, praying that he will find us faithful always.