Romans 13: 6,7
“This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
Our world is in a distressing condition with conflict upon conflict and wars within and between countries but more than that, within the hearts of individuals. Sin is man’s basic problem and he is hopelessly engulfed in it. We tend to believe that the problems are political or economical and are a result of unwise ruling and choices. At such a time a this, we must remember that even though God ordains governments and calls us to be subject to them in Roman 13: 6-7, it doesn’t mean that Satan isn’t roaming about seeking to get in there with his power and influence. Even though we may not approve of all that goes on in our government, it’s in God’s sovereign hands and it’s authority over us serves a divine purpose under God to bring about fulfillment of prophecy.
Jesus spoke to the Pharisees in Luke 20:26 with instruction to give to Caesar what was Caesars and give to God what belongs to Him. But, in all honesty, do we do that? Do we really give God all that is His by giving of our time, our prayer, our passion, our thoughts, and our trust? They all belong to Him, yet we hold back from Him on so many aspects of our living. He has so lavishly graced us with salvation and the Hope of Glory and yet we fail to focus on Him as our solution. Perhaps much change would happen within our homes, our families, our schools, our churches and our governments, if within our hearts we could find the respect and honor for our Creator; the all-knowing, omnipotent, and omnipresent God in charge and then because of our love for Him..treat others with the love, forgiveness, respect and honor that we owe them simply because God requires it of His people, His disciples and His followers.
Let’s be challenged today to honestly evaluate our own hearts before God before criticizing another. Perhaps our own spiritual laxadasical attitude plays a big role in the distressing condition that we find the world and it’s governments in. Perhaps the real problem lies within ourselves.
Hope and Healing In Hard Places 