Even Martians know it – everyone has a leader. And most of us, in some way, are both in authority and under authority. At work and home, in the family, in marriage, and with government, church, school, clubs and teams – there’s someone over you and under you.
And you know that, for each of us, somewhere in those areas there is some degree of problem. Maybe grumbling. Or criticism. Questioning. Resentment. Bitterness, jealousy, rebellion. There’s the attitude, “I could do better” or “I should have that role.” And there’s harshness -- “You just need to do what I tell you.” Either you have the bad attitude or you hear it or you experience it.
It’s one thing when the idea of authority is “over there;” when it’s someone else’s family, work, school, church. That’s fine when it’s not you and it’s not me in charge or under authority at the license branch, or Blockbuster Video, or Walgreen, or the elementary school in the other neighborhood, or those houses behind us. Whoever’s in charge there doesn’t usually affect me and it’s none of my business.
And those Bible lists of kings and leaders? That’s fine, too; none of them are you or me and their authority doesn’t touch us.
But when it does affect me – when it’s MY family, job, school, neighborhood – well, that’s when I find out what I really believe. That’s when it gets personal. Suddenly it’s not spiritual, it’s not between me and God – no siree – it’s between me and that person over or under me. You don’t even think about God.
You might say you understand the idea of authority, but is it only as long as it’s in those areas over there, as long as it doesn’t effect you, as long as you can just talk about it? When it gets close and personal do you forget what you say you believe?
Pretty much daily, we get blessed with the chance to realize what we really think about the idea of authority. The whole world is filled with it.
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More of The God Show. We’re on the authority channel. The previous post is HERE. You can find out more HERE.
The God Show is five channels (in addition to the Bible) that don't change over time or according to culture, where God's ways, invisible attributes, eternal power and divine nature are clearly perceived but often missed: 1. Nature, 2. Authority, 3. Family, 4. Marriage, 5. You. Really, he's all over the place.
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