Hebrews 13:17 - "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you."
Respect for authority is something that God considers to be of great importance. God puts authoritative figures in our lives in order to steer our lives in the right direction. After all, God is an authoritative figure, and he is the utmost important figure that we should adhere to. God blesses those that follow the people that have been placed above them. This can be teachers, policeman, preachers, etc. They have all been put in our lives, in hopes that we will stay on God's path.
Respect for authority is something that many people in our society struggle with. There are many that hate when they are told what they can and cannot do. For a true Christian of God, a person will want to follow what God and people of authority tells them to do. God instills in us the want to do right by Him and others. If we expect to touch others' lives, we must show kindness toward them, and treat them how we would want to be treated. Also, if we expect to have a good relationship with God, we must treat God right, while abiding by His rules.
I know that it can be very difficult to abide by some people's rules. Even if it is a silly request, we must show people respect, even when they lack it for us. This is what God wants. He wants us to show kindness, even when it seems like the other person doesn't deserve it, because this is what God did and continues to do for us. Even when we treat God bad, He still shows us kindness. Of course, if a person tells us to do something that is against God, we should not do it. This is when we should use the knowledge that God gives us to determine whether a request is of God or not.
1 Timothy 5:17 - "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine."
James 5:14 - "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:"
God puts a high significance on the elders of the church. They are the ones that set an example for the future generations and give them the knowledge that they need to be the leaders one day. The elders in our lives can be our grandparents, preachers, or other Godly men and women. Elders have developed a lot of knowledge and wisdom over the years that they have lived, and God has placed them in our lives, so that we might learn from them. These people have wisdom that could really help us in our walk with God. In James 5:14, God said to call upon the elders in time of need. God thinks very highly of elders that are of God, and He uses them in mighty ways. If we have elders in our lives, we should treat them with great respect. For, they are the ones that helped us get where we are today.
God hasn't put authoritative figures in our lives to make us unhappy, but to guide us where we need to be. Without authoritative figures, the world would be an absolute wreck. I couldn't imagine a world without police officers or laws, and especially without God. We all need guidance in our lives in order to be safe and prosperous. We must always remember that, no matter how crazy what someone of authority tells us to do seems, we are to think of God and how he would want us to act and treat that person.
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