Thought for the Day

Verse 35 - The wise servant who follows his king's orders, earns the favor of the king. But the servant who acts shamefully by disrespecting the king earns his wrath. It is also true in the workplace. Those who have learned to respect authority and follow orders will progress and be promoted. Those who do their own thing will anger their supervisors and miss raises and promotions and could even lose their jobs.

The Lord expects us to respect those in authority over us. Without this honor and obedience, anarchy and rebellion will set in and confusion and disorder will be the result. The Lord expects the worker (servant) to honor his boss and work for him as unto the Lord. He also expects the boss (master) to be kind to his workers and not threaten them. The Lord is the one who will repay both master and servant (Ephesians 6:5-9).

We are to work with a submissive spirit. Sometimes people who appear to be submissive are only "going through the motions," while, inwardly they are resenting their positions. Of course, there are limits to submission; it should always be "as unto the Lord." As we submit to God first, He will resolve any problems involving submission to others. God never expects us to submit to anything that is immoral or contrary to His Word. If an authority were to ask us to lie for them, we would have to refuse; but even then, we can refuse with a proper attitude.

Verse 1 - As this verse says, "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Extremes in submission have caused confusion in the body of Christ. Those who refuse to submit to authority are just as out of balance as those who submit to every dictate from those they feel are their superiors. We must submit to the leadership of the Holy Spirit to direct us in all areas. This requirement has been greatly abused by church authorities. Some pastors are dictators, while others are so permissive that church order is lost, resulting in chaos. There are always those who tend to be hard and dogmatic in handling the truth. While there must be respect for leadership in the body of Christ, a legalistic approach brings bondage, which is contrary to God's will. Paul's letter to the Galatians reprimanded them for leaving the simplicity of the Gospel by adding strict rules and regulations to it. Submission is required of God's people, but never to the point that leaders become dictators.

True pastors and leaders - the ones God chooses to guide His people - do not dictate, but lead His flock in love and by example. "Neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3). If you have been unable to find leaders like this in your area, ask the Lord to lead you to someone who has a heart like His.