Act Justly

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

Last Saturday, my devotional was based on Micah 6:8, which says:

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[a] with your God.

The writer correctly pointed out that a lot has been written and said about act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly, but we tend to skip right over a very important word in the previous sentence – require. The Lord is not recommending that we do this; He is requiring it!

 

Then, I was reading my One-Year Bible that morning, and I came to Psalm 106:3, which says:

Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right.

I have found in my life that when things keep coming at me – like being told twice to “act justly” – I would be wise to listen.

 

Knowing I don’t know what I don’t know and wanting to understand what this means, I went to ChatGPT and asked, “What does it mean to act justly?” What I am going to share below is directly from ChatGPT’s answer to that question, as I thought it was phenomenal. I learned a lot; I hope you do too!

 

To act justly means to live and conduct yourself in a way that reflects what is right, fair, honest, and righteous. It means making decisions, treating people, and responding to situations according to truth, integrity, fairness, and God’s standards of righteousness.

 

Acting justly is putting justice into practice through your everyday words, actions, decisions, and treatment of others.

 

What does acting justly look like?

1.     Treating people fairly: Giving others equal consideration, respect, and fairness regardless of who they are, what they have, or what position they hold.

2.    Being honest and truthful: Speaking the truth, being transparent, keeping your word, and conducting yourself with integrity.

3.    Doing what is right: Making decisions based on what is morally right rather than what is convenient, personally beneficial, or popular.

4.    Standing up for others: Speaking up when someone is being mistreated, taken advantage of, discriminated against, or treated unfairly.

5.    Taking responsibility: Acknowledging your mistakes, accepting accountability, and making things right when your actions have caused harm.

6.    Showing no favoritism: Treating people impartially and not allowing relationships, wealth, influence, status, or personal feelings to determine what is fair.

7.     Protecting the vulnerable: Showing concern for those who are disadvantaged, overlooked, oppressed, or unable to defend themselves.

8.    Making fair decisions: Listening to all sides, considering the facts, and making decisions without prejudice, dishonesty, or partiality.

9.    Showing compassion and mercy: Considering the circumstances and humanity of others while still upholding what is right.

      10. Living with integrity: Doing what is right even when nobody is watching, when           it is difficult, or when you receive no personal benefit.

 

ChatGPT then shares Micah 6:8 (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[a] with your God.) and then continues with commentary.

 

Notice that God doesn’t simply tell us to recognize justice or to talk about justice. He tells us to do justly.

 

This means justice should be demonstrated through how we live.

 

ChatGPT then shares Proverbs 21:3 (To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.) and then continues with commentary.

 

God places great importance on living righteously and treating others properly.

 

Finally, ChatGPT shares Zechariah 7:9 (This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.) and then continues with commentary.

 

This verse connects justice with fairness, mercy, and compassion.

 

The heart of acting justly

Acting justly means allowing your character, conduct, and decisions to reflect righteousness.

 

It means:

·       Doing what is right, not merely what benefits you.

·       Treating others the way they deserve to be treated – with fairness and dignity.

·       Speaking up for truth even when it is uncomfortable.

·       Taking responsibility when you are wrong.

·       Making sure your actions do not contribute to someone else’s mistreatment.

·       Extending fairness and compassion to others in the same way you desire to receive them.

 

The bottom line: Acting justly means consistently doing what is right in God’s eyes and demonstrating His standards of truth, fairness, righteousness, and compassion in how you live and treat others.

 

Pretty powerful, isn’t it? If the ten points in “what does acting justly look like?” were a scorecard, how would we do? Remember, it is a requirement!

 

Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. Please cherish your precious family, be kind, and stay well!

 

Kev

Unwrap It!

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious Friday morning in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

Last week, my Beautiful Bride, Kathy, and I had a 4-day getaway to the beach. Highly recommend these intentional getaways for all married couples – they are so important. As we were driving down to the beach, we listened to a Jon Gordon podcast. His guest was Kristin Johnson, who recently wrote the book I'm Available: How to Live and Receive Your Unique Purpose. The concept is that, in addition to thanking God for each day we are given, we also let Him know that we are available to be used by Him every day, however He wants to use us to serve others for His glory. I can’t remember Jon’s exact question at the end; however, Kristin responded, “This is a decision that has to be made every day.” We can’t just say, “I’m available” once and have that cover us for the rest of our lives. We must live intentionally!

 

I have shared it before; however, I must share it again:

“Nothing is easier than saying words; nothing is harder than living them day after day. What you decide today and commit to today, you must redecide and recommit to tomorrow, and each day that stretches out before you.” – Arthur Gordon

The first time I read that quote, it struck me in a deeply profound way. It has become a life mantra for me. Please pause for a moment to consider the deep truth of the statement and how it applies to all aspects of our lives. Faith, family, career, etc.- every day we make decisions, and we live with the consequences, whether we like it or not. The decisions we consistently make and the things we consistently do determine the quality of life we will live and the relationships we will have.

 

Last night Kathy and I were watching a Christmas movie on Great American Family – don’t judge! I have been watching Christmas movies since August! In the movie, they said, “Every day is a gift, but you have to open it.” How many of us don’t open up the gift of today? That is not living; that is simply being alive. We fall far short of all we were created to become when we live life that way. This day is not the “same old, same old.” It is a glorious new day full of hope, opportunity, and promise; however, we have to intentionally show up and choose to live it fully! We have to unwrap it!

 

So, friends, that is my challenge, prayer, and hope for each one of us: that we would open the gift of today and live it fully. Remember, it is so easy to say the words; it is very hard to live them every day. And you must redecide and recommit until the day you take your last breath.

 

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24

 

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34

 

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

 

“The glory of God is man fully alive.” – St. Irenaeus

 

“It’s easy to confuse a lot of activity with a purposeful life.” – Bob Goff

 

“The goal is to live a full, productive life even with all the ambiguity. No matter what happens, whether the cancer never flares up again or whether you die, the important thing is that the days that you have had you will have lived.” – Gilda Radner

 

 

Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. Please cherish your precious family, be kind, and stay well!

 

Kev

Silence

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

 

How is it possible that Monday will be the 1^st of November?

 

Earlier this week, I listened to a phenomenal message by Pastor Joel Osteen. This morning I want to share several excerpts that I got from Sermons.love. You can read the full transcript here: Joel Osteen - The Strength of Silence. Better yet, I want to encourage you to listen to the message titled The Strength of Silence, which you can do here: The Strength of Silence | Joel Osteen Message

• I want to talk to you today about "The Strength of Silence." We live in a day when everyone has something to say. We're quick to give our opinion, quick to respond, and quick to let people know what we think. If they say something we don't like, we need to straighten them out. If a coworker offends us, we're going to let them have it. If a family member says something rude, well, two can play at that game. We let them know how we feel. But just because you have something to say doesn't mean you're supposed to say it. Every offense doesn't deserve your response. Every disagreement doesn't need your opinion. Every person who misunderstands you doesn't have to be convinced to change. There are battles you will never win with more words. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is say nothing at all.
• It takes strength to stay quiet when you could prove that you're right. You have the perfect thing to say, but no matter how convincing you are, the other person is not going to receive it. The more you talk, the more frustrated you'll get. You're trying to put out the fire, but in fact it's like pouring gasoline on it. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes that there's a time to speak and a time to be silent. I'm not saying never to speak up, never to confront, or never to deal with conflict. But maturity is knowing what time you're in. Is this a time to speak, to be bold, to let your voice be heard? Or is this a time to be silent, to walk away, to let things cool down?
• One of the best ways to protect your peace, protect relationships, and even protect your destiny is to learn the strength of silence. You have every right to say something. The question is, does it need to be said? Is it going to be helpful? Is it going to move things forward? Or is it just going to make you feel good and feed your ego? You've got to have the last word. When someone makes a disrespectful comment, you don't have to answer. If they post something you disagree with, you don't have to correct them. You're not called to straighten everyone out. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts people. Sometimes we're playing Holy Spirit Junior: "Let me convict you. Let me get you fixed." That's not your assignment. Focus on keeping yourself fixed.
• Here's the key: let go of the need to always be right.

• It's easy to get into conflict and stir things up, but it's hard to bite our tongues. It's hard not to express everything we're thinking: "Give them a piece of my mind. I'm going to tell them what I think." If you keep giving pieces away, you will lose your peace of mind.
• How many relationships would be saved? How much healthier would our marriages be if we learned the strength of silence, that we don't have to defend, debate, or argue?
•  Silence is not weakness. Silence is strength under control. Anyone can react. Anyone can blow off steam and say whatever they think. That's easy. It takes a strong person to have something to say and choose not to say it.
• Psalm 39: David had people coming against him, slandering him and trying to ruin his reputation. Under all this pressure, he said in verse 1, "I will keep my tongue from sin. I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the ungodly." He was saying, when I'm in difficulties, when people are doing me wrong, and I'm tempted to get upset, I'm going to be careful what I say. He had people lying about him. He was misunderstood. He was hurting. But his first concern wasn't what other people were saying; it was what he was saying.
• One thing my father taught me was that you never go wrong by taking the high road: overlooking an offense, not responding to the negative chatter, keeping the peace when everything in you wants to argue. That's a mark of honor. That's what God rewards.
• David prayed, "God, help me control me." You can't control what other people say, but you can control yourself.
• Here's the principle: don't speak when your thoughts are hot, when you're upset, when your emotions are out of check.
• When emotions are high, wisdom is usually low. When anger arises, common sense usually leaves.
• You're not weak when you're silent. You're smart when you're silent.
• Some battles you're not supposed to fight. They are distractions. That's the enemy trying to get you off course, offended, trying to prove your point. The problem with those battles is there are no spoils. Even if you do win, what has that gained you? If it's not between you and your destiny, it's a distraction.
• See, sometimes we think, "Well, I have a right to say something." But a better question is, do you need to say something? Sure, you have a right to respond, to pay back, to defend. You may have all the facts. But what if you win the argument and lose your peace? What if you damage the relationship? What if you push away people you need to be for you? It's not worth it. Honor doesn't come from winning the fight. Honor comes from avoiding the fight.
• Being silent doesn't mean you're weak. It's strength under control. When you know who you are, when you're confident and secure, you don't engage in battles that don't matter. You don't spend your time defending, arguing, proving. You protect your peace.
• Your peace is more important than getting your way. Instead of praying, "God, change them," I'll give you a better prayer: "God, change me. Help me to grow. Help me to bite my tongue. Teach me the strength of silence."
• One of the greatest principles to learn is that not everyone deserves your response. Your time is valuable. Your peace is valuable. Don't spend it on every offense, every argument, every opinion. Do like Jesus and ignore it. The strongest person is not the one who wins every argument. It's the one who has the self-control to walk away from conflict that never needed to happen. That's the strength of silence.

Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend. Please cherish your precious family, be kind, and stay well!

 

Kev