What Will You Do?

He has shown all you people 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

Back in the 1970s, American Express launched a popular series of TV commercials that invited viewers to imagine their worst travel nightmares. 

“What will you do?” asked celebrity narrator Karl Malden. “What will you do?”

In one episode, a traveler is in a run-down hotel in some unnamed Third World country. He’s just discovered that his wallet and travelers checks were stolen by a pickpocket. His luggage is also missing. With no money, identification or any way to get help, the unwitting victim is in deep trouble because he can’t re-pay his debt. But had he purchased American Express Travelers Cheques (yes, that’s how they really spell them), his loss would have been repaid in full within 24 hours, regardless of his location.

Although that's a bit far-fetched in these days of PayPal, credit cards, emails and iPhones, this classic commercial still illustrates a basic spiritual truth. Because of the way we’ve lived our lives and treated others, we’ve all run up an immense bill with no way to repay it. But with God’s grace and mercy through Jesus’ death on the cross, the spiritual debt of every Christ-follower is completely paid in full. 

Since God shows us great mercy even though we really deserve death, we’re now expected to show mercy to others. That sounds simple enough. But somehow, it conflicts with our sense of fair play. After all, aren’t there some people who just have it coming? Shouldn’t they get what they deserve? Someone needs to even the score.

Does anyone in particular come to mind? How about that guy who kept cutting you off in traffic this morning? Or what about that woman who butted in line at the DMV ... or that neighbor who lets their dog loose in your yard? There’s no shortage of examples.

Yes, everyone has faced injustice and hurt in one way or another. So don’t those people need to pay us back to make it right? After all, they owe us. 

Maybe. But we owe God much, much more. And since he canceled out our huge debt, it’s up to us to spread grace toward those who have wronged us. Yes, it’s a hard lesson. But never forget that God doesn’t ask us to give more mercy than what he’s already given us. 

What exactly does the Lord require of you and me as Christ-followers? It’s in Micah 6:8 that we learn the answer: To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

With this in mind, Jesus — and Karl Malden — want to know: What will you do?