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Abusive or Incredible Authority: God Always Wins

Why is it that employees often think they know how to do the boss' job better than the boss does? I always wonder, "is it arrogance? is it perspective? is it just plain stupidity?" No matter the reason, this is an age old problem that plagues people of all ages. Kids think their parents don't know anything. Students think their teachers are stupid. Employees think their bosses are jerks. Wives think husbands are selfish. Husbands think wives are annoying. The list goes on but the problem remains: a lot of people have problems respecting authority. Maybe the lack of respect comes from an abusive experience. Perhaps you think you're justified in your defiance because of the way you were treated. Again, either way, the problem remains: a lot of people have problems respecting authority.

Authority can be a tricky thing to recognize, especially when you place yourself above authority in your own mind because they're younger than you, dumber than you, not as experienced as you or not as awesome as you. No matter how you relate to authority, the problems remains: a lot of people have problems respecting authority.

Whether your authority is abusive or incredibly amazing, you, as the subordinates', only responsibility is to love, honor and respect those in authority. God wants you to surrender and submit to authority and wait on Him to stand up for you. It's not your duty to make sure authority is in line to your expectations; it's your duty to entrust your authority figure to God's authority. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5)

Our church honored us this Sunday with
very meaningful gifts. We love our
church family so much!
Your responsibility is not to criticize a person in authority; your responsibility is to be respectful and honoring to him or her. The only way to be truly respectful and honoring is to come from a place of love that originates with God. That love is a deep, never-ending well that is continually filled up by God. We have direct access to that love and immediate capability to expand that love to others, no matter their position in your life or how they treat you. Let God be the one to judge those in authority. Let God be the one to set them right. Let God be the one to bring you out of or through the situation. Let God show love in every single experience. Let God be the love that shines through you. Let God change you and mold you to handle things the way he wants.

I'm encouraging you to pray before you encounter your authority so that he can show you how to react and how to treat him/her. Please ask for him to guide you and teach you to love that way He does. He will take you to places you never knew existed and you'll never want to turn back.
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