As I have been considering more and more my role of obedience to government vs obedience to my Lord, I have felt like a haze has consumed me. Not in an overwhelming cant find the tree from the forest type of haze, but at what point do I say enough is enough. In fact even as I write this I think of the eye of "big brother" watching and listening in. I know many of us have "files" to keep all our important information in so it is only logical to conclude that those of us who call our selves Christians, get anti communism newsletters, conservative, value voting, joy casting, state hopping, cell phone using, people such as myself have a file as well. Register a gun, well that needs to be documented, call a known tea party attender, that's another line item, and the reality is we dismiss this as the governments need to keep us safe even if we have to give up a little freedom. A "little freedom" is merely the beginning. The Jews took sin seriously and attempted to make it impossible to sin by a group of people called Rabbis, that just means teacher, who began to write laws. And they wrote laws, and some more and again, you get the idea. The thought was if the Rabbinical code had enough laws and addressed every area of a persons existence they would no longer be able to sin and if they did they would fall into the hands of the church. Eeeekkkk, what a horrible idea!! Guess what you and I live in a very similar world where even the idiots that used to wipe themselves out, survival of the fittest, are safe and reliant on the government. As a kid I used to ride in the back of a truck bed going down the road, travel to the store without a seat belt on, spill a cup of hot coffee on me and know that it was hot, because that's what I ordered not just because the cup says so. I could go to town and walk around, eat lunch drive through busy intersections and never be on camera. Today you are filmed hundreds of times every day!
Listen I'm not just griping about these things, my Bible tells me clearly to obey the laws as if I'm serving Christ Himself. But the question burning in my consciousness is the same, "at what point do I say no more?" Then just like a proverbial 2x4 crossed my head it clicked. I've heard people say that you are to obey God and obey government, obey your boss and today's generation has had enough and refuse in many cases to obey any of the above. We see it in our houses, our workplaces and our churches to mention a few. But here is the final word, You are to obey the authorities in your life. So your boss asks you to do a menial job that the new hire, in your opinion, should be doing. Do it! Quite complaining and do it. You see lesson number one is you cannot be over until you have been under. You and I are under authority whether you admit it, like it or refuse it, it is a fact. When you learn how to be submissive, then and only then will you be able to be over. Lesson two is that you are to obey your authority up to the point it is contradictory to Gods law and what is expected of you scripturally speaking. This is the point I have been struggling to clarify in my mind. I must obey until I am asked to defile my character or go against God's holy teachings because that is the point my earthly authority over extends his/her authority and has no authority over me. It belongs to God and Him alone. Many times the authorities try to extend their authority over our lives in areas they have not been given authority, and this is the point we must say no.
So what is that area in your life right now? What area is it you know you have obliged the authoritarian and gone along with them, rather than saying this is where I stop?
That being said here are a few questions to take seriously to heart and ponder.
1. where do your tax dollars go and are they used to honor God?
2. How is your work ethic? Are you just doing the bare minimum because you don't get the appreciation you deserve?
3. Do you honor your parents, regardless of what age you are?
4. What areas of your life are you living out of fear of the authorities because you don't want the consequences of standing your ground?
I'd love to hear what's going on in your life and what areas this affects you so drop me a line!
For the King
P.M.
