Romans 13:3-7
Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you’ll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you’re breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren’t there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it. That’s why you must live responsibly—not just to avoid punishment but also because it’s the right way to live.
That’s also why you pay taxes—so that an orderly way of life can be maintained. Fulfill your obligations as a citizen. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, respect your leaders.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Greg and I were driving home the other day, and we pulled up to the stoplight at a major intersection. There was a car in front of us when the green arrow began flashing… indicating that we were cleared to “go”! The driver sat stock-still, until Greg honked the horn. Just as we suspected, this man was talking on his cell phone and not paying attention to his driving! We see this so often. We hear about the dangers of texting and driving… of becoming distracted by our phone, the radio, eating or some other non-driving-related activity. I kid you not… we passed a woman on a bridge approaching the Arkansas River entering Little Rock yesterday, and she had a pen and pad in her hands. She was making notes to herself as she drove along this incredibly busy stretch of interstate. The irony is that the traffic had just begun to move in this area again, following a major accident! Still, we always seem to think that calamity will strike “the other guy” and never ourselves.
In many areas of life, we try to “skate by” and dance around the fringe of the law… and reckless driving is only one of them. We fail to recognize that we are not only “breaking the rules”… we are also disrespecting God-sanctioned government and its officers. While there may be laws and rules with which we disagree, none of us is above them. Speed limits are not for the other guy. The payment of taxes is not arbitrary. Can you imagine checking out at Wal-Mart and telling the cashier…”Just leave off the sales tax today… I don’t feel like paying it!”? No! The privilege of living in a city/state/country comes with some conditions… and taxation is one of them! Respect for the laws and those who create and enforce them is another.
On a more personal level, we have to pay for what we purchase and/or consume. God calls us to show respect for those who employ us… and those whom we must pay, including our landlords, our lending agents, storekeepers, and persons who provide us with services. We should not expect anyone to be at our beck and call out of the goodness of their heart. People may do kind and generous things for us along the way, but to “ride their coat-tails” is incredibly disrespectful. And God is not pleased. I always go back to the family of a student I taught who depended on the assistance of Social Services for the basic necessities – food, clothing and shelter. The father told his caseworker one day that he needed a car – and he told her this in an “I-expect-you-to-get-this-for-me” voice. The caseworker calmly asked, “What color would you like?”
See, the demand was so preposterous… so disrespectful on every level imaginable, that the caseworker couldn’t help but answer with a ridiculous statement. I wonder how often we are telling God, in essence, “I need a car!” – and expecting Him to deliver? How often are we disobeying and disrespecting Him and those He has placed in our path? How frequently do we take everything that God has granted us and pretty well throw it back at Him and say, “I need more!”? When and where have you essentially said to God, “I deserve everything You do for me…but don’t expect me to do anything for You in return.”?
Do you see that this is about so much more than obeying law enforcement officers, paying taxes… and paying your bills in general? Do you understand that God has blessed us exceedingly above all that we could ever deserve… that the very least we can offer Him in return is our respect and appreciation? Does it make sense to you that anytime you disrespect someone else, you have insulted God? What do you have to say for yourself? How can you rectify this situation going forward? Are you ready to humble yourself before God and thank Him for His many blessings… are you ready to live in obedience and reverence – to honor Him and behave responsibly in all things? Isn’t today the perfect day to begin?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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