The Order of Things

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Romans 12:18 (ESV)

              I had the great privilege of being at home with both of my boys until they began school. The only other people they stayed with for any length of time were family members. While my kids never attended daycare, they were also unsocialized.

              Our church participated in Awana, a scripture memory program for ages three to eleven. When my oldest turned three, I enrolled him. He had no idea how to stand in line, or how to take turns. If he was starting pre-k in a year, he needed to learn general socialization rules and actions.

              Over the next few months, the socialization piece went well. He learned to take turns, share, and make friends. He loved attending Cubbies with his friends every Wednesday night. But one of the unexpected parts of this new stage was learning to do what others instructed him to do.

              Now, he obeyed Mama and Daddy. He also knew how to follow instructions from grandparents. But until Cubbies class, he had never learned to listen to and obey another adult authority figure. Learning to obey adult leaders was crucial for a little guy. Following guidelines and instructions would be something he needed to do for the rest of his life.

              God created an order of things. We even see Jesus submitting to the authority of Father God in Matthew 26:39 (NIV), "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Jesus modeled for us the importance of placing ourselves under God’s full authority in all parts of our lives.

              In our opening verses, Paul reminded the believers at Rome to submit to rulers and authorities. He didn’t stop there; he instructed them to be obedient, ready to do good, never speaking evil of others, being gentle without quarreling, and showing courtesy to all. Why would he add those instructions when talking about submitting to rulers and authorities?

              It reminds me of Colossians 3:23 (NIV), Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. We are not instructed to be prideful, belligerent, or defensive. We are instructed to do all things with a full and sincere heart, as unto the Lord, not for any other purpose. This includes submitting to authorities. While we keep a good attitude. And rise above the selfish temptations to hold a grudge.

              God first, but also earthly rulers and authorities. How am I doing at keeping this order of things?

Do the Heart Work

1.      Who are my earthly authorities? Am I showing them respect according to the standards given by Paul to the Romans?

2.      In what ways to I submit to God?

3.      Who are the authorities I struggle to submit to? Why?

Digging Deeper

Read Matthew 22:15-22(NIV)

              Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Jesus wisely responded to the Pharisees that they were to obey the law of the land. Submitting to governmental policies can be hard. We will not always agree, but Jesus still instructed to give to Caesar what was Caesar’s. Unless authorities direct us to disobey God, we are called to submit.

If You Get Spare Time

              Spend time journaling or thinking about the role of authority. What is the purpose? What are the benefits? When does submission cross the line? What attitudes or beliefs keep us from submitting to authority?