#submittoauthority Life Journal day 350 / 1 Peter 1-5

1 Peter 2:13-17 ESV

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

If I am going to be honest with you, this is something that I have struggled with for all of my days.  It has been a challenge to come under the authority of others at every turn. So very often I do not agree with the ways of the authority over me.  I often believe that I would make much better decisions.  But having thought about it, of course I do not agree with all of the ways of my authorities.  I suppose that the only way that I would agree with all that the authority does, would be if I were the one in authority.  That is just the point.  God has given us a mind and a will.  He wants us to learn to be submissive and obedient.  This is the more challenging way.  We feel that we are always right.  So does the one in authority over you.  But yours is not to call the shots, yours is to submit to the authority.  

A a servant of God I must discipline myself to be a good follower.  I can do this because of this one truth. I may disagree with the authority over me.  I may think them to be a fool or what they do to be foolish. I may even think that what they require of me to be foolish.  In the end though, I answer to God.  He is my ultimate authority.  He is no fool.  It pleases God for me to become a servant to those in authority over me.  Therefore I do not depend on those over me other than God to bless me or take care of me.  I depend on God.  Thus in obeying the foolish leader, I am blessed by the Great and Mighty God.  Understanding this has made my life to be full of much blessings from heaven.  I think that you will find that it will be the same for you.