“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

This brief passage was recently discussed at the cell group I attend. The part of the verse that struck me the most was where we’re commanded to act justly. Naturally, this begs the question, “What does it mean to act justly?”

My understanding of justice is rather simple. But in order to fully comprehend…we have to go back to the beginning. Genesis 1 tells us that God created the heavens and earth; He spoke light into existence; He produced living creatures; He created man. Verse 31 tells us, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

Unfortunately, things didn’t stay the way God created them. Genesis 3 tells us about the fall of man and the curses brought upon humankind as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin. Those of us who are alive today don’t know the world as God intended it to be; we only know a world that has been corrupted by sin.

So there’s a way that things were supposed to be. And then there’s the way that things actually are. Justice, then, is restoring things that have been twisted and defiled by sin back to their original, God-intended state.

God did not intend the world to include poverty, hunger, suffering, inequality, abuse, pollution, or people taking advantage of one another…all of those are a result of sin. Therefore, erradicating poverty, feeding the hungry, banishing inequality, preventing abuses, stewarding our environment, and loving one another are all forms of justice. They are all actions that bring us closer to the way things were meant to be. Closer to bringing heaven to earth.

When I was little I had a pink Precious Moments Bible. I loved this Bible dearly and considered it a prized possession–not so much because I liked to read it…but more because of the pictures! On Sundays (generally during the pastor’s sermon) I would flip through my little pink Bible and find my favorite pictures.

Naturally, these pictures corresponded to verses (brilliant work, Precious Moments), so I decided my favorite verse was 2 Corinthians 9:7, which reads:

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

I’m not gonna lie…I think it was my favorite simply because the picture had puppies (see above), but nonetheless this verse has really stuck with me throughout the years.

The other night I was thinking of this verse and had a slight epiphany. If I may be so bold, I would like to assert that the verse should continue to read, “God also loves a cheerful receiver.”

This may seem a little counter-intuitive, or perhaps a little like, “Why would God need to love a cheerful receiver? Doesn’t everyone like to receive?” But to that I would answer that there can be a real sense of humility when you’re on the receiving end of a blessing. Giving feels good. Giving helps you feel like you’re part of the solution. And don’t we always maintain that “it’s better to give than to receive?”

Receiving can be a whole different beast. Receiving can take the humility to say, “God I need you. I can’t do this without you. Please help me and provide for me.” Personally, I think it can be hard to receive with a joyful heart–to receive and not feel in some way inadequate. With that being said, if we become “cheerful receivers” I think God will delight in our humble hearts and relish our faithfulness.

Check out this 3 minute slideshow to get a glimpse of my life (and work) in South Africa!

The funniest thing about accents is that it’s nearly impossible to hear your own…

After spending several weeks back in the U.S., I arrived safely in South Africa last Saturday. This past week has consisted mostly of settling back in to things, catching up on work, and touching base with a few friends.

Upon having coffee with a South African friend of mine, she turned to me and said, “Oh my hat! How did your accent get so strong?” Apparently all of the South African inflections and vernacular I worked so hard to acquire over the past few months have (not so subtly) left me. I guess I’ll be spending the next month or so trying to change my phraseology and intonation to once again suit a South African audience. No big deal I suppose, just one of the dangers of straddling two continents…