Proverbs 21:3
“To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

This is pretty clear. To do the right thing and be just is what God is looking for. He’s not concerned that you tithe 10% because that’s what you’re supposed to do, or “that’s what we do” because everyone else does, or because we’re told by a religious leader to do so.

Nope, we are called to be just, to be concerned about justice in all we do, then we’re called to do the right thing.

To do. Action. The right thing. In God’s eyes, not ours.

I think that’s what makes Christ so unpalatable to so many. He calls us to action. Why doesn’t God fix things? Because He expects us to make an effort first. We don’t want that hassle – is it any wonder we give the government the power to mitigate the effects of poverty instead of us doing it? Who has the resources, us or the government? We do of course, we pay the government to do it. Why? Think about it – why do we pay the government to take care of justice issues (social or economic)? Because at the end of the day, it’s easier. It might be more effective, but that’s a commentary on our efforts, on the resources we’ve invested over the years. At the end of the day, do we really think that a government can do a better job of things than we can? Yet, in many areas, they do. Shame be on us.

It’s also a commentary on our priorities, on how we spend our human capital on a daily basis. That, my friends, is where we fall short in God’s eyes. It’s not about the gifts, about the sacrifices, when they come without being invested in the righteousness and justice of those in need – the poor, sick, elderly, imprisoned.

Sacrifice intentionally, with investment in the results, not just blindly fulfilling your duty. Do what is right and just in the Lord’s eyes. It’s what we are called to do.