today's 4 letter word

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Titus 3:1-15. Paul tells us some things that are NOT popular in today's culture. He says "Submit to the government and its officers. Be obedient, always ready to do what is good."

We really hate the word "obey" today, don't we? We really REALLY prefer the word "rebel". We're rebels without a cause. We've been rebels just for kicks since 1966 now. (that's a song, in case I was being too esoteric for you). We root for the rebels in star wars, and the thought of "obeying" the government, ANY government, is odious to us.

But we need to fix that. We are told that God has put the government in place, and that we should obey it. Follow its laws. Do what is good. And remember, Paul wrote this while the government in his part of the world was killing and imprisoning Christians, including him. So he doesn't mean "obey the government if it's a good one."

Does that mean we do everything the government tells us? Yes, as long as it doesn't violate what God tells us. In that case, we respectfully (and peacefully) refuse. In all other cases, we follow the law as much as possible.

God, thanks for teaching us that obedience is a good thing.