I think we (everyone who reads this blog) all know we're supposed to respect those in authority over us. I think we understand it's a scriptural principle that we submit to whoever is above us. And let's be honest, everybody has someone who's above them on the ladder.
First, I think we need to stop viewing that as a bad thing.
(I going to pause for a moment and make sure that everyone understands this blog is my opinion based on my view of how things are. If I say something is the way it is, I don't mean it as a blanket statement - I mean it's how I've seen things in general. Also, I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't seek to better your life or your job.)
It seems that often people complain about their bosses. How they did something stupid, got away with this or that, lost customers because they didn't know what they were talking about, promoted or fired someone for inappropriate reasons, etc. But remember, we're put under our bosses for a reason. Instead of complaining about what's going on, remember that God is in control of it all. Look for the good in it. Find something - it's there. God is good to His children all the time. He's never a bad Father, giving us something we don't need, or taking away something we do.
Respect God's control and sovereignty, and you'll find that you start to properly respect those above you. Your boss, parents, policemen, state and federal legislatures, judges, the President, etc.
I've started doing something that I'm not sure anyone has picked up on. If they have, no one has commented. But I began noticing a while ago that people, in general, don't call the President the President. In fact, most of the time they just call him "Obama." Not even "Mr."
Where I come from, using Mr. and Mrs. are appropriate signs of respect for those a generation older than you (about 20 years, is the idea, I think). People don't even use that much of a title for the LEADER of our NATION. Why? Because we don't like that God put President Obama over us? Because we don't like him? Because we don't think he deserves our respect?
But I think it's even deeper than that because we didn't call President Bush by the proper title all the time either. A lot of the time, he was just "Bush." It's simply a lack of respect for the position of authority over me. It's not anything about whether or not I like him, or dislike him, think he's killing the nation or helping it, whether I think he's right or wrong, whether he's a Christian or a Muslim. No matter what he's doing, or what he is on all those levels, he is my President. And that all by itself should be enough for me to refer to him as such, giving him the proper title.
Honor the king. If you don't, are you really honoring The King?
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2 comments:
I agree. I often tell the kids at school this. They like to refer to teachers by just last names, or nicknames. Our headmaster got a PhD, so I refer to him as Dr. and included in this is how we are to reference our President. And you are right, it was the same with President Bush.
So true!
1 Peter 2, particularly verse 17, supports your argument perfectly. I'm guessing that's where you got the title from. :-)Lots of other verses out there too, can think of a few specific ones in Proverbs. Good point, wish that Christians weren't so guilty of dropping their respect for their authorities! It's a shame...
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