1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.Paul wrote a lot about submission. He said in this passage that how we obey authority figures is how we obey God. It is this way because authority and government figures are put there by God Himself. So the heart of the matter is that the same attitude I have towards them is the same attitude I have towards God. Why would I be unwilling to submit? Because I think I'm bigger and better than the system God has set in place? God forbid.
Lately I've been wondering if I have it too good for my own good. Though I'm not wealthy by the United States' standards, I have all the money I could need. I have a beautiful wife. I have enough power to make me feel important. A family who is there for me. A church that listens to my opinions.
It's just that in all of those blessings, I lose my need for God sometimes.
Maybe a little bit of poverty is what I need. Maybe that will give me a need for God again.
I don't want to be that way. I want to be dependent upon God. It's just that when everything is going right, it seems I have no need to be.
I pray much more often when there's something wrong than when everything is going well.
I think that's sinful. How dare I use God as my out. He's my lifeline. He's the red phone. He's the last resort. I'll do all I can do, and if all of that fails, then I will finally try God.
God forbid it.
Maybe I need to give something up, or maybe God needs to take something away.
God,
Do what you would. Don't give me so much that I forget from whence it came. Overwhelm me with your presence. Take something away if You would--so that I may better understand my dependence on You. Help me see where You are. I want to be a part of that.
Jacob
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