Be obedient...Unless It Blasphemes God.

Titus 3:1-2 – Remind your people to obey the government and its officers, and always to be obedient and ready for any honest work.  They must not speak evil of anyone, nor quarrel, but be gentle and truly courteous to all.

Pau uses his last words to Titus to remind him how important it is to obey and respect the authority of the government.  Other Bible writers confirm this as the right thing to do.  Romans 13:1-2 says… “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.  So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.”  Jesus’ own words are recorded in Mark 12:17  … “Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.”

I admit that this is increasingly difficult to do. Many of our leaders do not follow the Bible and some are even voting into place laws that are contrary to what the Bible teaches. But following and obeying the base laws of our countries isn’t difficult or questionable at all.  Speeding or running stop signs or lights can cause serious injuries or fatal wrecks. Even though we don’t always agree with how our taxes are spent…and they are not always equitable for all economic levels…they still provide the base for running the government.

We could find excuses all day long to disobey a government rule or law…but Peter gives us the only reason why we are ever justified in breaking one in Acts 5:29.  It says… “But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” If following the rule directly blasphemes or goes against what God has taught…then we must take a stand…even if it means jail.  Daniel spent the night with lions to take a stand for God.  His three friends stood in a fiery furnace…eventually leading the leader in that day to love God too.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you put in place every leader that has power.  You have plans to use even what we see as bad to give you glory and honor at the end of the story.  Forgive me for the times I have disobeyed even a simple law…and justified it as okay. Help me to be more aware that my choices to break them effect others that might not know you.Amen.