Devotion #1: Authority Under God
How many of us genuinely love the word authority? My guess is that it is not many of us. I mean, if you could think about the one special person that you want to give thanks and honor to, it would probably not be the one who is in authority over you. That said, authority is an important topic to reflect on, and how we respond to it says a lot about our faith and character.
How do you respond to the authority in your life? This includes the government, police, city officials, your boss, supervisor, and coworker who is in charge of a project. Do you approach your own role of authority with a sense of fear and trembling? How does this relate to the great responsibility of parenting that God might have given you?
Paul addresses this topic, offering clarity on how we should navigate both our roles as individuals in authority and our responses to those who oversee us.
Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”
The ultimate authority is God! He is the example of true, righteous, just, perfect, merciful, and forgiving authority. He is the authority to which we should all desire to be subject. If we are in positions of authority, then He should be our example of what we strive for in our positions of authority.
Imagine if every person in authority reflected the character of God perfectly in their position over others. There would be a confidence that the one in authority loved us, cared about us, desired what was best for us, responded with a voice of tenderness and kindness, and offered forgiveness. They would rule with justice and mercy. This is the kind of authority I love to submit to.
The rift comes when the human authority we live under does not reflect the character and behavior of the ultimate authority - the authority of God. This is the ultimate dilemma. Paul will go on and work through this difficulty, and in the coming days, you will read devotions that will help you navigate that. The one question that I think is the most relevant of all is, “Do you desire to be subject to the ultimate authority?” That is really the core of this passage. If God is your ultimate authority, are you going to be obedient to Him regardless of whether there is good or bad human authority? If Jesus is your true ultimate authority, you know that all other authority is there for a reason, good or bad. That is really hard for us to grasp as believers because we only want the good authority, not the bad.
Ultimately, the question we must wrestle with is whether we are willing to submit to God as the ultimate authority in our lives. When we recognize Him and His perfect character, it transforms the way we view all other forms of authority. God’s example challenges us to lead with humility, justice, and mercy in our own positions of influence while trusting His purposes even when human authority falls short. As we reflect on this, let us ask ourselves: are we modeling the character of God in our leadership? Are we trusting His plan when others in authority fail us? The journey of submission to God’s ultimate authority is not easy, but it is the path to peace, growth, and deeper faith. May we walk this path with confidence, knowing that He is working all things together for His glory and our good.