1 Timothy 2:1-2
First of all, I ask you to pray for everyone. Ask God to help and bless them all, and tell God how thankful you are for each of them. Pray for kings and others in power, so that we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honor God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In geometry, “proofs” support the mathematician’s path to an outcome. By “showing your work,” you explain how you got from “Point A” to “Point B.” Today’s devo will be a “proof” of sorts. Please stick with me!
For far too long, there has been discord (especially on social media) over politics – even among people who are supposed to be good friends. I have seen some really ugly things posted by a few people who I consider to be not only my close friend… but also a Godly Christian. I have to tell you, these comments, cartoons, and responses to other’s posts have brought both into question on more than one occasion! In this scripture passage, as well as others throughout God’s Holy Word, we are called to show respect to - and pray for - our leaders… all of them. It doesn’t say to pray for those in one party or another – or those who support this bill or that amendment. The Apostle Paul doesn’t call on us to pray for God to act in one way or another toward those in office. All he tells us to do is to “pray for kings and others in power.”
Paul tells us to pray for our leaders and those in power, so that we may live quiet and peaceful lives as we worship and honor God. Let’s think about this. How will your life be quiet and peaceful if you pray for a leader you do not support? Here’s one explanation. In her book Unglued, Christian author Lysa TerKeurst tells of a confrontation with the parent of a student in her daughter’s middle school grade. The parent left TerKeurst a harsh, critical telephone message, and her first inclination was to retaliate. But she prayerfully considered that truly, our life is not “us against them,” as much as it is “all of us on one side against Satan,” who delights in us getting into disagreements and doing his dirty work for him. In that light, she offered grace and compassion to the parent, rather than her own hateful jabs and a counterattack.
Are you still with me? If you pray for a leader you don’t like… someone in power with whom you disagree… you are not condoning his/her actions or platforms. You are saying, “LORD, this person deserves Your love and grace just as much as I do. Please provide a hefty dose of both.” In doing this, you honor your commitment to God to serve as a disciple of Christ… to “love one another,” and to treat others as you would have Him treat you! Your prayer demonstrates to God that you trust Him to handle the outcome with perfection. And God grants you peace of mind… an assurance that you operated in love, grace and mercy toward another of His creatures.
In turn, this can lead to a peaceful co-existence between you and the leader or person in power whom you dislike – or worse! TerKeurst says that her extension of grace and compassion led to a reconciliation of sorts between the other parent and herself… they amicably agreed to disagree. While these mothers will never be “besties,” they can now at least be civil to one another when circumstances throw them together. And this has made both women feel more peaceful.
Let’s face it… disliking someone else leaves us feeling unsettled, at the very least. In some cases it can lead to a general sense of turmoil, hard feelings, and lost friendships. This is not my idea of peaceful living… is it yours? I encourage you to think about those whom you dislike or of whom you disapprove… whether in political circles – or life in general. Take some time to pray for them. I know it may be difficult at first… but do it anyway. See if praying for the people who irritate you in some manner leads to a stronger sense of grace and compassion on their behalf. Discover how you can find peace in this… how starting with a simple prayer can lead from “Point A” to “Point B” and prove that Paul was totally on target!
Learn to focus on operating in prayer that leads to grace, mercy and compassion…and results in peaceful living that worships and honors God.
©2013 Debbie Robus
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