Good Morning! It is sad, but very true that submission to authority is no more prevalent in Christianity than it is in the secular world. I know this for I have led and been led in both worlds. Rebellion towards God’s umbrella of protection (our parents, preachers, teachers, employers and the government) seems to be just as commonplace in our churches as it is a world “that knows no better”.
Of course this is especially true when working with addicted people. I have never met an addict that does not struggle with rebellion to authority. Submission, however, is God’s primary prerequisite for advancement in any area of life.
For example, if I want to advance in my spiritual life, it requires only but one thing: submission to the Holy Spirit. I have learned through many mistakes that God blesses every single act of submission on our part both individually and collectively. When we submit, we are blessed. They go hand in hand.
But many times our submission, which must be internal in nature to gain God’s unmerited favor, gives way to stubborn rebellion when we feel as if our decision makers are actually decision mistakers!
Every leader makes mistakes, for every leader is human. However, as followers we must realize that we do not need anyone whom God has situated between us and Him as leaders to fully cooperate with God in order for us to gain God’s blessing. No! In order to gain God’s blessing I submit to every ordinance of man for His name’s sake, that’s it! That’s all! And God’s blessing is sure to follow.
Often times, we will meditate on the mistakes of our God ordained leadership and contemplate how our perception of their weaknesses will bring us harm or undue stress and use this contemplation as a justification for at least internal rebellion.
On the outside, we may appear somewhat submissive, but it is obvious to those around us that we are at best divisive or at least disruptive toward our leadership’s leanings.
Whether you are a wife with a stubborn husband as your leader, a church member with a pastor who you feel is making wrong choices with your life, an employee with a hotheaded boss or even fearful of what is taking place with our political leadership of the land, we all have a responsibility to look to the Lord and simply trust and obey.
Recently, I counseled someone who had an upcoming court date for breaking the law. She wanted help with their court situation but at the same time was asking advice on her marriage because she was upset with her husband for his stubborn refusal to change his leadership style to one that fit her preferences for the family. After counseling with her for thirty minutes, I realized that she didn’t trust her pastor with her personal problems and was on a three day suspension from her job for punctuality problems. Suffice it to say I spoke to her about her need to submit to these forms of authority and she became frustrated with me and of course did not take any of the advice that I gave her.
Here is one person, and I meet people like her nearly every single day that in one meeting revealed a rebellion toward the authority of government in breaking the law, her spouse in second guessing his leadership regularly, her pastor in mistrusting his God given role in her life, her employer in disrespecting the workplace rules of order and her teacher in that she heeded none of my counsel, not a word of it!
But to her, it was our fault her life was a mess! She is not going to gain God’s blessing unless it is granted out of sheer mercy from her Maker. I have learned that true freedom comes from submission to authority.
As a matter of fact the Bible tells us that when our leadership is at its worst that is when our submission should be at it’s best! For that is when we glorify God the most.
Notice this oft overlooked admonition from the hot headed, opportunistic and presumptuous follower, Peter. Who after many embarrasing moments of impetuousness, later in life he concluded the following in 1 Peter 2:18:
“Servants (which in modern vernacular is referring to employees), be subject (or submissive) to your masters (which means leaders) with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.”
The word forward means perverted. That’s not the word pervert, but the word perverted, which means “distorted”.
This is a leader who has a distorted view of his leadership or his followers. This is a bad leader and Peter learned in life that he and we have an obligation to be submissive to them in a spirit of fear, which means respect. So that means when we have bad leadership, we should respect them and submit to them. Even when they are wrong and we are right! That’s not only God’s plan, its God’s demand!
Peter goes on to point out that if we are good followers of bad leaders we are behaving “thankworthy” or, Christ-like. But if we are “faulty followers” then we have not suffering in any way when we are treated poorly by our leaders for we probably deserve it!
Let’s look at how this is taught in verses 19-21:
“for this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. . .”
So we see that proper responses TO God ordained leadership is not predicated upon proper responses FROM God ordained leadership. We need to be GOOD employees AND we need to respond right to BAD employers. That’s a mighty tall law! But it is God’s design for submissive mankind.
If we respond right to leadership that might be acting wrong then we will eventually see a blessing come out of a bad situation. If we just stay put and committed. Solomon, the wisest man to ever live said this:
“If the spirit (temperament) of the ruler (leader) rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offenses.” (Ecclesiastes)
What a truth! If our leadership gets temperamental towards us (deservedly so or undeservedly so) then we just need to stay focused, submissive and Spirit led. That is our “place” in the God’s chain of command. If we will do this, it will pacify the the leader from his or our own unintentional offenses. Even if it is deserved, we are told that the leader will eventually be pacified. How? By our proper responses to their improper perceptions, that’s how!
With that said, my life can be broken into three time periods since my salvation at age 8. From 8-18 I ignored authority and never advanced in my life. From 18-28 I rebelled against authority and regressed in every area of my life and then from 28 till now, as I have made every effort to remain submissive to authority, every single area of my life has excelled beyond my greatest of hopes and aspirations.
To God be the glory; submission brings great endings to every story!
Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington
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